


Claimed

by Aria6



Category: Bleach
Genre: Aizen Wins, Aizen is a asshole, Budding Love, Character Death, Children, Genocide - on a smallish scale, Grimmjow the accountant, Hollow Claim, Lots of people are assholes, Mind Control, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slavery, Test-tube babies, Torture, Violence, Yammy is an asshole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:00:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 218,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3411542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author's note: This is a bit hard to write. But I wanted to do a fic about Grimmjow really claiming Ichigo and Consequences of Revenge really wasn't it. XD So here it is, a full on master/slave relationship. It might eventually change but it will definitely be an interesting progression…</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: This is a bit hard to write. But I wanted to do a fic about Grimmjow really claiming Ichigo and Consequences of Revenge really wasn't it. XD So here it is, a full on master/slave relationship. It might eventually change but it will definitely be an interesting progression…

_Why did this have to happen?_ Ichigo's hands clenched into fists as he rested his forehead against the wall, trying to ignore the heavy weight on his back, the forceful thrusts of the man rutting against him. It was hopeless and he gasped as that cock grated slowly against his prostate, a deliberate act. He knew that from the way the bastard laughed, a harsh, wicked chuckle. _No. No!_ He clenched his teeth, trying to will his body into submission. It was hopeless, especially when a callused hand encircled his length and began jerking him off in time with every thrust.

"You're a great fuck, shinigami." That rough, terrible voice spoke in his ear and he flushed with shame and disgust. Feelings that were almost obliterated a moment later, as thrust after thrust hit home in his battered body. "You like that, don't you? Of course you do. Little bitch."

"Shut the… fuck up!" Ichigo gasped out, his nails digging into his palms so hard they left tiny crescents of blood. "You bastard!" At least he could do that. Grimmjow didn't care if he talked back during sex. In fact, he seemed to like it, which only added to his anger and hate. Sure enough, there was a heavy chuckle behind him.

"I love it when you say that." Ichigo bit his lip so hard it almost bled as that cock just kept on abusing his insides. The thrusts were fast, remorseless yet oh so accurate. "It's as good as moans and mews… although I'd like to hear you moan for me like the whore you are." That made him flush in shame and rage, still biting his lip to hold back any of those moans. He would never make sounds like that for Grimmjow. Never! "And you know what I like best…" Ichigo did know. Grimmjow had told him before. "The look on your face…" A heavy hand grasping his full, aching cock as that hot rod inside him just kept hitting him over and over again. "…When you cum for me."

"Unh!" Ichigo couldn't hold back the sound as a few hard, brutal yanks took him over the edge. The oil on Grimmjow's hand kept it from hurting, but that was all that saved him. His cum splattered against the wall as Ichigo rode out his orgasm, holding back any other cries. Of course, that gave Grimmjow what he wanted… the look on his face, the way he bit his lip and tensed to hold back any other sounds. He knew he was playing into his rapists hands, but it was still better than moaning like the whore Grimmjow called him. Another quick, powerful thrust and the Espada grunted before going still. Ichigo could feel that member inside him pulsing, the spreading heat inside his anal cavity. It didn't feel right and it didn't feel good. It made him want to puke.

Grimmjow pulled out of him, doing up his hakama and leaving him there exactly the way he always did, gasping and clinging to the wall, his legs trembling. Ichigo gradually got himself back under control, looking at the stains on the wall with revulsion. It was his 'job' to clean the house and despite the humiliation that snarled through him, he pulled up his pants and went to grab some paper towels to clean the jizz off the wall. If he left it, it would get old and tacky and much harder to remove.

As he wiped the semen off the wall he closed his eyes for a moment. He could remember the first time Grimmjow had taken him like it was yesterday. He'd gotten Orihime to bring him back to life just so he could Claim him. Ichigo still wondered why. Why couldn't the Espada have just left him alone? Why had he been brought back from death to suffer this? He'd even asked him, once. Grimmjow had just shrugged and said he wanted to. For the lunatic Espada, that was enough.

Finishing with the wall Ichigo went to do the dishes. There wasn't a lot, it was just the two of them. When that chore was done he went to join Grimmjow in bed. Not because he wanted to but because he had to. Grimmjow had made it clear that he would only sleep elsewhere if he was ordered to and by now, Ichigo knew better than to disobey. There were so many ways for Grimmjow to hurt and humiliate him. Disrobing quickly, he slid into bed beside the violent man. He was already asleep which was a relief. Grimmjow could be insatiable and Ichigo didn't want another round so soon. Or ever, if he had a choice in the matter.

But he didn't. That was the whole point of being Claimed. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep.

Tomorrow would be another day.

* * *

Ichigo scowled as he prepared breakfast. He could hear Grimmjow showering, his usual morning routine.

"I swear if he complains about my cooking one more time…" He muttered to himself. Yuzu had always done this. Stopping for a moment, he had to wipe away tears. His sisters were dead, their souls obliterated in Aizen's mad quest for power, just like all the people of Karakura town. It hurt so much to remember. Taking a deep breath he turned his attention back on the frying pan. Grimmjow didn't need to eat but he'd gotten a taste for real food, and it was his duty to prepare it.

Today was huevos rancheros. The corn tortillas went on a skillet to soften as he cooked up the scrambled eggs. The guacamole, bean salsa and sour cream were in containers on the breakfast table. They could ladle out as much as they pleased. After nearly a year of practice, Ichigo had the timing down quite well. He was just setting out the piping hot eggs when Grimmjow stepped into the room.

"Mexican today? Good shit." He said approvingly and Ichigo nodded, putting the tortillas on each plate. He'd made four of them, two for each. Grimmjow took a seat and helped himself to the eggs and fixings, taking a swig of his coffee. The Espada liked it hot and black.

"Are we doing anything today?" Ichigo asked in a neutral tone. It was a good idea to ask. If he didn't, Grimmjow might forget to tell him and just drag him somewhere, or even get angry that he wasn't where he should be. Grimmjow usually didn't punish him unfairly, but he'd prefer not to test it. The Espada shook his head.

"Not for you. I'm going to a beach party with some of the guys." That meant the other Espada and the higher ranking fraccion. "But Nnoi and Yammy are bringing their pets. I asked and Nnoitra said they don't need you, so I figured you wouldn't want to come anyway." He said, which was a massive understatement. They both knew that Ichigo would rather chew on broken glass than 'hang out' with the arrancar. Acting as a servant and taking orders from any fraccion or Espada who deigned to notice him… no, thank you. "I'll be back for supper. Make some tacos, would you?" He asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Sure." That was a very reasonable request and well within his skill level. He would just get a packaged spice blend and there was ground meat in the fridge. Although… "Did you want chorizo sausage too?" That would give him a good excuse to get out of the house and the market in the Seireitei was fascinating. For a few hours he might even be able to forget he was a pet. Grimmjow looked intrigued at the idea.

"That's that hot Spanish stuff, right? Yeah, that sounds good. You do that." Permission to leave the house. Ichigo nodded, feeling relieved. Of course, Grimmjow knew exactly how he felt. That was how the Claim worked. The arrancar grinned at him before catching his face in one large hand, stroking his cheek with a thumb. Ichigo shivered, feeling a strange combination of lust and revulsion as the Espada touched him. "You've been a good pet lately, so you can stay out as long as you like. Just make sure supper's ready by seven."

"Really? Er… thank you." It grated on his soul to thank the evil bastard for letting him have a day to himself, but Ichigo wanted to keep his temper sweet. If he didn't, Grimm might very well decide he didn't deserve the time away. Food finished, Grimmjow left the table and headed outside as Ichigo gathered up the dishes and set them in the dishwasher. Fortunately, this little house had all the modern conveniences.

When the kitchen was tidy, he went outside to practice a bit. It was still too early for the market to be in full swing and he liked to keep his skills sharp. He didn't have Zangetsu – all the most powerful shinigami had had their zanpakuto taken away – but Grimmjow had given him a practice blade in the same shape. Working out with it made him feel like a warrior again. And sometimes, Grimmjow sparred with him, using a simple weapon instead of Pantera to make it 'fair'. He usually won since he still had most of his powers even without his blade, and without Zangetsu Ichigo was more than a little crippled.

Sighing to himself, Ichigo cleaned off the weapon and put it away. He couldn't shake his melancholy mood today. He hoped the market would cheer him up a little but the opposite happened. He could feel accusing eyes on him as he looked through the market and several of the vendors were distinctly chilly with him. Not that he could blame them, really. He was supposed to have protected them from this and he'd failed, miserably. And his hair was so recognizable…

He finally bought some dried persimmons and sat down on some nearby stairs. But instead of eating the tasty, custardy fruit he just stared at them sadly. His mind was a thousand miles away, reliving his failure…

" _Grimmjow, let go of me!" What was going on? One minute he'd been… dead… Ulquiorra had put a hand through his chest. He remembered that horrible moment when he looked down and realized he was a dead man. But now he was alive again and what in HELL was the Espada doing with his clothes?!_

" _I'm Claiming you." The madman purred and Ichigo blinked as his hollow practically screamed at him to do something, anything to get away. "Ulquiorra, fuck off and take the woman and brat with you."_

" _Very well." Ichigo looked up wide eyed at the emotionless tone. Orihime protested but couldn't stop the Espada from picking her up. He grabbed Nel as well. The little girl was crying up a storm and struggling to reach him. "Trash." He added before vanishing in a burst of sonido. Grimmjow just chuckled, not remotely offended._

" _Whatever. You'll be Claiming your bitch soon…" Ichigo arched, struggling frantically to get away as a big finger began violating his virgin entrance. Too late, he understood part of what 'Claiming' entailed. There was something damp on Grimmjow's fingers, some kind of lube but he wasn't the least bit grateful. He tried desperately to keep those fingers out of him but it was hopeless. He was too weak to fight the Espada. "You've got a nice ass shinigami. So fucking tight… I can't wait to put my cock in there."_

" _No! Please, stop!" He couldn't believe this. This couldn't be happening. It was like something you saw on TV… Grimmjow just laughed and Ichigo screamed as that cock began slowly sliding inside. It felt like he was being torn apart, impaled. It was agonizingly painful –_

_And then suddenly it wasn't. Ichigo stiffened with a yelp and quivered as he felt something slide through his body. It seemed to find the core of his soul, his very essence and it filled him with inconceivable pleasure. The pain suddenly vanishing in that onslaught of ecstasy, but he could still hear his hollow screaming, telling him he had to escape before it was too late. And even with his own body staging a rebellion, he tried. But Grimmjow just laughed and gripped him by the scruff of his neck before sliding out and sliding back in, spilling more of that something into his body._

" _I knew you were a twink the first time I saw you." Grimmjow growled in his ear, his breath hot and smelling like sandlewood and old blood. Ichigo panted, feeling the sweat popping out on his hairline as he stared at the ground, his eyes wide. This was how he was losing his virginity? That hot rod inside him said yes. Ichigo moaned as another wave of pleasure hit him before biting his lip. "You love it don't you? Bitch." That word was punctuated with another steely thrust, more reiatsu spilling into his battered body. He understood what was happening now. Grimmjow was pumping him full of reiatsu, but why?_

_It seemed to take forever. The Espada enjoyed torturing him, making him writhe and fight back moans and gasps of pleasure. There was a vague sense of pain under all the pleasure and he realized he was being rubbed raw despite the lube, but it didn't matter. The sensations were too intense. The end finally came, though, and Ichigo's word went white as fangs ripped at his throat. His whole body convulsed, his inner walls clamping down on Grimmjow's cock. The Espada let go of his throat and howled, releasing in a series of quick, hot spurts._

_As he came down from the high, Ichigo felt nauseated. What had happened? Why had Grimmjow done this to him? His hollow rather snippily informed him of his 'pet' status, but it was Grimmjow who really brought it home when he ordered him to get up and follow. Ichigo had no choice to obey and when he tried to draw Zangetsu, tried to attack, he simply couldn't. To his horror he realized he was a slave. No, a pet. Grimmjow's pet, for as long as the Espada wanted him._

Ichigo sighed, closing his eyes for a moment in mental pain. Without him, Soul Society had fallen. Aizen ruled now and arrancar did what they wanted. The Espada were in charge and their words were law. Finally taking a bite of the dried persimmon he tried to forget it all. The fruit was sweet and soft like custard, exactly how it should be.

It had been a year since he'd been Claimed, a year since the fall of Soul Society. And life went on, despite everything. Standing up, he went to see about finding a used bookstore. Grimmjow let him buy books, as long as he dropped them the instant the Espada wanted him. Once, he'd tried to get Grimmjow to leave him alone when he was engrossed in a story and the Espada had ordered him not to read for a week. And he hadn't, not even street signs. His eyes had refused to do it. Shaking away the thought, he began searching through the shelves for a good novel.

Anything to take his mind off the hell his life had become.

* * *

Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to ignore the heavy hand in his hair, keeping his head in place as he held his throat as open as possible. Grimmjow was big, damned big, and it had taken time for him to learn how to do this. His gag reflex was mostly absent these days.

Times like this made him wonder if the Espada was right. The disgust he felt was all due to his lack of control, the fact that he was a sexual slave and plaything to the arrancar. It wasn't because there was a man's cock in his mouth. That didn't bother him at all really so maybe he was gay. Or maybe he was just used to it. Grimmjow had been his first and only sexual partner so far.

There was a growl above him, a quickening in the breathing and Ichigo braced himself. Grimmjow came a moment later, grunting and groaning in pleasure. Ichigo choked and swallowed, that hard hand in his hair holding him in place. The familiar feeling of nausea rose up but he stifled it ruthlessly. If he threw up right now he might choke and that was damned unpleasant. It had happened before and the Espada hadn't been pleased.

"You're getting good at this, shinigami. Now, get on the bed." Grimmjow let go of his head and Ichigo nodded, bowing his head in a tense gesture. He knew what was coming and he desired it yet dreaded it.

It followed the usual pattern. Grimmjow had him lie on his back and then the Espada began to tease him, slowly and sensuously running his tongue over his cock and balls as his thumbs drew patterns on his inner thighs. Ichigo bit his lip, holding back a moan as he stared at the ceiling, memorizing the patterns on the tiles. He liked this. He hated it with all his heart, but his body felt pleasure anyway.

He let out a soft, involuntary huff of air as Grimmjow took his hardened member into his mouth. Brown eyes closed tightly as Ichigo bit his lip, struggling to hide any sign of pleasure. He knew if he looked down, he would see those wicked blue eyes staring at him, looking for all the little hints he couldn't hide. Ichigo's breathing speeded up as the pleasure mounted, that long, flexible tongue almost wrapped around his throbbing erection. Then Grimmjow deep throated him effortlessly and the incredible heat and pressure drew a strangled gasp from his throat. Ichigo's eyes flew open as his orgasm hit, his whole body shaking with the force of his release. When he was done, Grimmjow pulled away, breathing hard. His blue eyes were wild and full of heat as he climbed up his victim's body, grinding their bodies together before taking Ichigo's lips in a brutal, bruising kiss.

"Ichigo." The way Grimmmjow could say his name was just… Ichigo swallowed hard at the sensual heat in that dark, rough voice. He could feel the Espada's erection rubbing against his belly and knew there was going to be a second round. Grimmjow was rarely satisfied with just once, anyway. "Hand and knees, bitch."

"Fuck you!" He snapped back without thinking and Grimmjow grinned, his white teeth flashing in the dim light. Ichigo gasped as his body was grasped and he was tossed onto his belly, the Espada mounting him. Not to fuck him right away, though. Grimmjow was a rapist – what hollow wasn't? – but he didn't prefer violent rape. No, he liked the kind that made his victim squirm in painful pleasure. So instead of taking him, the arrancar began to taunt him. Ichigo grit his teeth as that heavy penis thrust teasingly against his buttcheeks and flushed in shame as he felt himself reacting.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ He asked himself, not for the first time. But he knew it was natural. Grimmjow had taken him to Unohana once, after he'd accidentally broken his arm. It had been a real accident, when they were sparring. Grimmjow had left him alone with her and he'd gotten a chance to ask her about his reactions to the things the Espada did to him. It had been embarrassing as hell but he'd been desperate. Unohana had assured him that the body would react to certain touches in the way it was designed to do and it was nothing to be ashamed of. Ichigo tried to remember that as Grimmjow began fondling him, stroking his cock with callused fingers. The rough skin on his sensitive member made him shudder while simultaneously feeling sick.

It took a few minutes for him to get fully aroused, though. That was normal too, he'd just cum and it took the body a while to recover, even if he was still a teenager. Grimmjow didn't seem to mind, just continuing his teasing and slow, shallow thrusts against the cleft of his ass. Ichigo knew exactly what it would feel like when that cock was inside him and his breathing sped up with disgust and anticipation at the thought. Then the hand left his cock and began properly spreading his ass, making sure he was lubed up. Ichigo grit his teeth and endured it. There was nothing else he could do.

Then that hot piece of meat was going into him and Ichigo exhaled deeply at the familiar burn. Then he yelped as he felt that rush of reiatsu flow into his body, caressing his core. What…?

"It's that time again, shinigami." Grimmjow's chuckle in his ear couldn't hide his wavering moan of pleasure. The one time he couldn't hide his reactions was during the claim and Ichigo shuddered as Grimmjow pulled out then slid back in, putting more of that honey sweet yet poisonous reiatsu into his body. "Every three months." He murmured and Ichigo's eyes began to tear up as the pace speeded up. The pleasure was mind-blowing, insane, but he didn't want it. "I'm not sure which I like better… the way you struggle not to make any sounds, or the times you pant like a bitch in heat."

"G-Go to hell… Grimmjow… Jaegerjaquez…" Ichigo managed to say, his hands tight in the blankets beneath him. His whole body felt like it was on fire with desire now but he still managed to keep just a bit of himself, enough to lip off to the arrancar. Grimmjow just laughed and rode him hard, shoving that reiatsu into him with every thrust. The combination of that huge erection and the pleasure inside soon reduced him to a puddle of lust and Ichigo tried not to hate himself for the sounds he was making. When it was over he felt the familiar white out effect. He felt it as his body convulsed, his insides clamping down on that cock inside him. Ichigo felt Grimmjow's hot breath, heard the growl in his ear just before fangs tore at his throat. Just like the first time, their combined reiatsu was drunk back, cementing the claim. Grimmjow didn't need to take him every three months. He could probably have lengthened it to six, but he wasn't doing it because he needed to. He was doing it because he wanted to.

Completely exhausted and sated, despite the sickness still lingering inside, Ichigo collapsed. Grimmjow slowly pulled away and then gripped his hips, maneuvering him to an unmarred corner of the bed. Ichigo was slightly grateful for that, even as sleep began to drag him under. He'd passed out in a puddle of his own cum before and that was no way to wake up. A warm body curled up behind him and Ichigo wished he could shove Grimmjow away. But he couldn't and he was just too tired to care.

Sleep quickly dragged him under and there were no dreams.


	2. Losses and Peace

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow hesitantly as they ate breakfast together.

The house Grimmjow had taken for himself was pretty nice. Ichigo knew for a fact that it had been abandoned in the fighting – he'd been there, chained to his master – so they'd grabbed it with no muss and no fuss, unlike many of the arrancar. It had a nice little breakfast nook designed for a small group, four at the most. That suited their needs very well.

Breakfast this morning was eggs, bacon and toast. Ichigo looked down at his plate, scraping the fork around to gather up a bit of egg yolk. There was something he wanted to ask. He'd been meaning to ask for a while but he was honestly afraid of the answer.

"…Grimm?" He said softly and the arrancar looked up, his blue eyes a bit curious. "What happened to Nel?" The last he'd seen of her had been Ulquiorra carrying her away. Grimmjow's fork and knife abruptly stopped moving as his blue eyes went dark.

"She's dead." He said shortly and Ichigo went stiff with shock. He stared as Grimmjow began cutting his food again.

"H-How? What happened?" He asked, his voice filled with pain. Little Nel… who would have killed her? He knew it hadn't been Grimmjow and somehow, he couldn't picture Ulquiorra doing it. He'd claimed Orihime though. Had it been a punishment for her? Grimmjow frowned at his breakfast before suddenly pushing it away.

"It was Nnoitra. Do you know the history between them?" He asked and Ichigo shook his head. "You probably don't know that she used to be the Tercero Espada, either."

"What?" He stared at Grimmjow, wondering if he was trying to play some kind of trick on him. But he seemed to be dead serious. "Nel? How?" He asked and Grimm sighed, leaning back in his chair. His expression was hard but Ichigo almost thought he saw pain in those blue eyes. Or was he just deluding himself?

"This all went down when I was the ninth Espada. Nnoitra was the Sexta and Nel was the Tercero. Honestly, I blame Aizen for it." Grimmjow rubbed a thumb along his jaw as he spoke. "They couldn't stand each other. Nnoitra is a misogynistic prick and Nel… I'd say she couldn't mind her own business but Aizen kept sending them out together. I mean, what the fuck? He knew they couldn't stand each other. Nelliel gave him lectures and shit, I actually overheard one once." He shook his head, blue hair waving slightly. "She was more talkative than Hal. I think that's the only reason Tia and Nnoitra get along… she keeps her mouth shut."

"So what happened to Nel?" Ichigo prompted as Grimmjow paused, his gaze fixed over his shoulder at nothing. The Espada blinked and really looked at him again.

"Nnoitra worked with Szayel to ambush her. He ripped the masks off her fraccion then broke Nel's mask. She turned into a child then and went off wandering with her fraccion." Grimmjow said then suddenly grinned. "I had a serious lust going for her when I was the ninth, you know."

"What? No way!" Ichigo exclaimed then blushed as Grimmjow laughed. But after everything he'd been through, he'd been _sure_ Grimmjow was gay. "So you're…"

"Bisexual? Yeah. Nel though… she was my goddess." Grimmjow looked almost nostalgic as he remembered. "I even tried to court her. You know how hollow courting works?" He asked and Ichigo shook his head. Without his hollow there was no one to question. "Okay… mostly you just pin the person you want and fuck their brains out." He said bluntly and Ichigo winced. "But if you want… more… or if you're approaching a greater power, you might do stuff for them. Courting gifts, shit like that. I made her a necklace." He explained and Ichigo tried to imagine Grimmjow piecing together a necklace for Nel. It was such a strange mental image. "She took it and smiled a little before giving it back." He didn't sound angry, though, which surprised Ichigo. He would have thought being spurned would inflame Grimm's temper. "She said I was too far down for her right now. I needed to make at least Sexta before she'd think about it. I was working so hard to advance, all for her… and then she was gone. My goddess just vanished one day." Grimmjow sounded a little sad. Not a lot, but then, it had been a long time ago. "I don't know why Nnoitra killed her. He'd already taken her power, her position, everything she had. Why'd he take her life after so long?" Grimmjow looked at the table for a moment before shrugging. "I guess we'll never know."

"…No." Ichigo whispered, looking down at what was left of his food as his stomach churned. He wasn't hungry now, either. "Should I…?" He gestured to Grimmjow's plate, which was still half-full. The Espada nodded.

"Yeah, not in the mood. I've got to get to work, be back later." He said before leaving. Ichigo sighed to himself as he realized he hadn't been given permission to leave the house. That meant he had to stay within at least the yard, which was fortunately rather large. After a moment, he decided it was just as well.

There was no way he could do something fun after learning about what had happened to poor little Nel.

* * *

"Yo." Ichigo started, almost dropping the frying pan as that voice spoke in his ear. How had Grimmjow gotten past him like that?! "Woah! Don't piss your pants, shinigami, it's just me." He said with a grin and Ichigo favored him with a glare before setting the cast iron pan down on the warming stone. It contained cherry cobbler, his first attempt at a dessert and in his surprise he'd almost destroyed it.

"As if I'd be scared. What do you want? I'm busy with supper." He knew he sounded crabby but there was no one to observe and Grimmjow liked to see some spine from him. The Espada just laughed, running a hand down his back and pausing to fondle his buttocks. Ichigo gritted his teeth, holding back the desire to punch him in the gut.

"I see. It looks pretty damned good, too. After we're done eating I have something in the bedroom for you to try on." Grimmjow said with warm promise in his voice and Ichigo blushed a little before frowning. What could it be? He hoped it wasn't something weird like bondage gear.

It was a bit odd. Ichigo reflected on it as he set out the food. Tonight he'd made them steak with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. There was gravy, but that came from a package. He had no idea how to make skillet gravy the way Yuzu had. As they ate, he reflected on his… love life, if you could call it that. It was actually pretty unimaginative, in a lot of ways. Grimmjow always used the same position, taking him from behind. There were a few other positions they'd tried but every single one involved him facing away from the arrancar. Ichigo wondered about that, but there was no one to ask. His hollow had completely abandoned him, going to sleep with the intention of waiting this out. Ichigo grimaced to himself as he remembered the hollow's words…

_You're a fucking failure, King, and I'm damned if I'll win your crown just to be his slave, even if he is sexy as fuck. Wake me up when you need me, otherwise you can fuck off._

That had been the last words his hollow had said to him. He could still call on his power, but all he got from the hollow was sleepy grumbles. And Zangetsu was completely out of his reach, being held by Aizen. It was painful, having absolutely no one to rely on. But then, his hollow had always been a selfish prick. How much good would he have been anyway?

"He could have explained things to me." He mumbled to himself before giving his attention to the cobbler. It was actually pretty good for a first attempt. Maybe a bit less nutmeg, but other than that… pretty good.

"Explained what?" _Damn!_ Ichigo cursed to himself as he realized he'd underestimated Grimmjow's hearing, not for the first time.

"Nothing." He said, glancing up from his food. Grimmjow lifted his eyebrows in a 'yeah, right' gesture but let it go. "How was work?" He asked, not because he cared but to make conversation. Grimmjow grunted and shrugged.

"Boring. Our job is just to keep the shinigami in line, really. They're fucking beaten, not one of 'em has a bit of fight left. All I do all day is scratch my ass and look mean. Fucking boring." Grimmjow sounded disgruntled and Ichigo nodded. He could imagine that would frustrate the violent Espada. "Which reminds me, I want to spar with you tomorrow. I wish Aizen would give me your fucking sword back."

"Huh? Zangetsu? You WANT me to have him?" Ichigo asked, taken by surprise. Grimmjow flashed him a grin.

"Of course I do. Crossing swords in bed is nice, but I want to cross the other swords too. And right now, you're not as much fun as you should be, shinigami." He purred in that low, sultry tone that could always kick Ichigo in the libido. And the bastard knew it, too, from the shit eating grin on his face. Scowling, Ichigo began clearing the table and tried not to think about what was waiting for him in the bedroom.

To his relief, it wasn't whips, chains or leather straps. However, it was something absolutely out there and Ichigo stared at it in confusion.

"…A kimono?" He asked, lifting up the silk fabric. "He wants me to wear this?" He asked the air before staring at the thing again. "…" Just from the colors, he was sure that was what Grimmjow wanted. Was the Espada out of his mind? Taking a deep breath, Ichigo began to disrobe. If Grimmjow wanted him in a dress, than that was what he would get.

The kimono itself was gold and orange and matched his hair remarkably well. Ichigo scowled as he tried to figure out how to get himself into the damned thing. Kimonos weren't something his sisters had ever worn, let alone him! Finally he gave up and just pretended it was a yukata. He'd at least worn those a time or two. Stepping out into the living room he gave the Espada the meanest glare he could manage.

Bright blue eyes scanned him thoughtfully before Grimmjow began to grin. Then he started to laugh. It started as low chuckles before quickly graduating to a full belly laugh. Ichigo just crossed his arms and glowered.

"You told me to wear this damned thing! What the hell are you laughing at?" He snapped and Grimmjow coughed, managing to get himself under control before explaining with a grin.

"Shit… it was Yammy who said I should try this. He makes his pet wear dresses all the time, poor bastard." Grimmjow sounded like he genuinely pitied the shinigami in question and Ichigo wondered who it could be. He wasn't allowed out of the house much, he had no idea. "His pet actually looks good in the things. You just look like a pissed off guy in a dress. Hahaha… ah fuck. Take it off." Grimmjow wiped his eyes, getting rid of a few tears of mirth. Ichigo growled a bit before going back to the bedroom and gladly stripping off the thing. He replaced it with a lounging robe before going back. It wasn't like he'd be wearing much soon, there was no point in getting his clothes back on.

"I'd like to see you wearing that." He said crabbily as he took a seat on the couch beside Grimmjow, expecting the Espada to begin molesting him. But there was a moment of silence and he glanced over with a frown to see that Grimmjow was staring away thoughtfully. "Grimm?" He said cautiously and the arrancar blinked, glancing at him.

"Hold on a sec." He said before leaving the room, to Ichigo's surprise. He looked at the bedroom door in bewilderment, wondering what was going on. What could Grimmjow be…?

Then his eyes went wide as the Espada came back out, wearing the gold and orange kimono. He posed with a hand behind his head as Ichigo gaped in pure shock. Then the absolute hilarity of the situation reached him and he started to laugh.

"Oi! Don't you think I'm pretty?" Grimmjow demanded and that only made things worse. Ichigo shook his head before managing to speak.

"God Grimm, you look… I don't know! Take it off!" He said and Grimmjow grinned wickedly before undoing the belt. Ichigo had no time to ask him what he was doing before he gripped the edges and yanked the kimono open, for all the world like a pervert with a raincoat. Ichigo stared, eyes wide, before beginning to laugh again. This time he laughed so hard he was almost in tears and his sides ached. He was just managing to recover, gasping, as Grimmjow settled down on the sofa beside him. The kimono pooled around the Espada as he nuzzled his pet.

"You know, I learned something new today." He whispered as he ground their bodies together. Ichigo let it happen, let the desire rise. It didn't even make him feel bad, not with the joy of laughter still fuzzy in his mind. "I like to hear you laugh." Ichigo didn't have time to question that as he was turned onto his stomach, a hand beginning to prepare his entrance. But that kimono was still there, sliding over his skin. He only had to glance at it and it brought a smile to his face. As Grimmjow sank into him he let out a breathy moan before he controlled himself. But he still felt more pleasure than sickness as the arrancar took him.

Maybe laughter was an aphrodisiac.

* * *

Ichigo took a sip of his beer before adjusting his straw hat and looking down at his book. His fishing pole was caught between his knees, the line bobbing gently in the water in front of him. He was sitting on the edge of a small dock, just enjoying the day.

This had been Grimmjow's idea. Unlike a lot of his ideas, though, it was turning out to be really pleasant. It was a beautiful summer day and Grimmjow had decided to take advantage of it by going fishing. And because he was being 'good', he'd been included. There were no other Espada or arrancar, no one for him to cater to. Just him and Grimmjow and the Espada wasn't interested in being waited on. Quite the opposite, he'd been the one to carry the beer cooler while Ichigo brought the fishing poles.

Ichigo glanced over at the Espada, a bit surprised to see that he was reading. Grimmjow generally wasn't a big reader and his choice of story reflected that. It was a graphical novel, highly visual and easy to read. Grimm was idly looking at it as he sipped his own beer, wiling the time away as they both enjoyed the sun –

"Oi!" Ichigo flinched and Grimmjow let out a soft groan as that strident voice interrupted their zen like calm. "What are you ass bandits doing out here?" Ass bandit? Ichigo turned to glare at the bastard who was interrupting them.

"Fuck you too Nnoitra. What the hell do you want?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo tensed, a bolt of pure rage going through him as he looked at the other Espada. He hadn't really bothered to keep their names straight, since he only saw them when he was acting as a servant. But he would never forget what this bastard had done to Nel. A hand settled on his lower back and Grimmjow suddenly leaned towards him. "Relax." There was a tug on his claim, but a gentle one and he couldn't help but obey. "The past is over and done with. You can't change it, look forward." The Espada whispered and Ichigo blinked.

"Are you channelling Zangetsu?" He said in an undertone, confident Grimmjow would hear. The arrancar just gave him a grin before looking up as a shadow fell over them. Nnoitra was there, gazing over them but Ichigo ignored him. Grimmjow was right and there was nothing he could do anyway.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked with an air of genuine puzzlement. Grimmjow looked up, annoyed.

"Fishing, dumbass." He said shortly and Nnoitra scowled. "You don't know about fishing?"

"No. What the fuck is it?" He asked and Grimmjow sighed, rubbing his head for a moment. Ichigo could sense irritation through the claim and knew that the Espada was just as annoyed at having their calm time interrupted.

"You think fish get on your plate on their own? Hop right out of the sea? Fishing is how you catch them." He said shortly and Nnoitra looked at the poles dubiously. Tesra was standing nearby, attentive to his master. "You want to try it we got an extra pole." He offered, probably figuring Nnoitra wasn't going to go away. The piano toothed Espada shrugged and took the pole.

Unfortunately, things got annoying in a hurry. Nnoitra scowled at the water, clearly waiting for something to happen and started to get upset when it didn't.

"Where's the fucking fish?!" He complained before standing up. "Rar!" He slashed his pole into the water, making Ichigo wince and Grimmjow growl.

"Nnoi! You're scaring the fucking fish away!" He complained before rubbing his forehead. "Shit… you clearly don't get how this works. Okay, let me take this from the top. This kind of fishing ain't really to catch fish, okay?" He explained as Nnoitra frowned. "It's just an excuse to sit in the sun all day and drink beer. Or saki if that's your style." That made Nnoitra start to grin. "Back when I was alive, it was a good way to get away from the womanfolk and the brats. If you brought fish home, that was just a fucking bonus."

"Oh. Well, why didn't you say so? That makes a hell of a lot more sense!" He glanced around, his one eye falling on Ichigo. "Yo, pet! Get me some fucking saki." He ordered and the teen tensed, his rage making it through the calm Grimmjow had helped him achieve. But his owner snapped back at the other Espada.

"Oi! Leave my pet alone, he was having fun before you showed up. Get your fraccion to do it." He snarled and Nnoitra glared at him for a moment before snorting and glancing at Tesra. The fraccion bowed slightly.

"I would be honored Nnoitra-sama." He said and actually sounded like he meant it. Nnoitra grunted, taking a seat again and stealing one of Grimmjow's novels. The Espada grunted but didn't protest, probably figuring the calm was worth it. Nnoitra was a rank over him, he couldn't really order him to go away.

Fortunately, Tesra came back with liquid courage and soon they were completely ignoring each other. Ichigo let the calm wash over him, enjoying the warm heat of the sun on his skin. For a while, there was complete peace. But then, of course, Grimmjow and Nnoitra had to start arguing about something. He tried to ignore it but gradually things began to get interesting.

"I so bet you can't!" Nnoitra said and Ichigo glanced up with a frown. Grimmjow was scowling.

"If Ulquiorra can do it so can I." He said arrogantly and Ichigo hid his doubts. Fighting Ulquiorra had been worse than fighting Grimmjow, if anything. "But what are you betting me? There should be something riding on this." He said and Ichigo's interest sharpened. A wager might involve him.

"What d'you want?" Nnoitra asked and Ichigo noticed that Tesra was looking queasy. Was he worried that he'd become part of this bet too? Probably. Fraccion weren't pets, they couldn't be ordered around by any passing arrancar, but they had to obey the head of the fraccion.

"I want your fraccion for a day." Grimmjow said, glancing at Tesra. He was looking positively ill now and Ichigo would have felt worse for him if it weren't for his own enslavement. The arrancar could just deal with it.

"Okay." Nnoitra agreed instantly. "And if you can't do it, you can get me a case of the best saki in the whole fucking city." He proposed and Grimmjow frowned as he thought about it.

"Alright, but you'll have to wait a month. I don't have that much credit left." He warned and Nnoitra nodded. "Okay. Let's do this shit." Grimmjow set his pole aside and took a cross legged position, closing his eyes. Ichigo watched for a moment, puzzled. If he didn't know better he'd have thought Grimmjow was meditating. After watching for a while, though, nothing happened and his thoughts began to wander. He picked up his book again, going back to his spot. It wasn't like he cared if Grimmjow won this wager. Well, he might end up in a threesome with Tesra but he wasn't sure how that –

"HAH! I fucking well did it!" Ichigo glanced up in shock as he heard that voice. Grimmjow's voice was… higher? He swallowed hard as he saw the Espada was on his… _her_ feet, holding her pants up with one hand. His shocked gaze travelled higher. Grimmjow's jacket was hanging off suddenly slender shoulders, but it still did nothing to conceal shapely, decently sized breasts. "Now you gotta pay up you – NNOI!" With a wicked grin, Nnoitra had just put his hands over those breasts and given them a hearty squeeze. The beautiful woman that Grimmjow had become took a step backward then wind milled frantically as she caught her foot on the edge of the dock and lost her balance. She went right into the water and Ichigo dropped his pole as he felt a frantic pull on his claim. He went in after her and helped her to the surface. She was swearing fiercely as Nnoitra laughed.

"Shit, it was worth it just for that! So when did you want Tesra?" He asked as Grimmjow growled and tried to pull herself out of the water. It was difficult since 'her' pants were trying to come off. Ichigo helped her as best he could, trying not to stare at the shapely body in his arms. Although… he didn't really feel desire for Grimmjow this way. He just felt uncomfortable, much like he had when Yoruichi had surprised him with her nudity.

"Make it tomorrow." Grimmjow said before closing her eyes. There was a brief shimmer in the air and she became a he again. Ichigo found he vastly preferred it. Female Grimmjow was definitely pretty but also oh, so wrong. "Send him in the morning, I've got some shit he can do." He glanced at Tesra who, despite looking very green, managed to nod. "And never grope me again, you fucking perv." He added, which made Nnoitra laugh again. Then Grimmjow took a seat, letting the sun dry him as he picked up the fishing pole again. Ichigo sighed to himself and tried to go back to his book, taking a long swig of beer.

He was still having fun but it would be better when Nnoitra was gone.


	3. Squishing Puppies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Since the guest reviews reminded me, I want to note that I messaged Nova Alexandra about doing a Grimm/Ichi claiming fic before I even started. Yeesh. Oh, also, this fic is going to go some very dark places…

"Oh calm the fuck down." Ichigo looked up from the dishes to see Grimmjow greeting an extremely apprehensive Tesra. "I'm not interested in you, my lusts are monogamous and they're married to someone else at the moment." He cast a leer over his shoulder and Ichigo fought back a blush, scowling at him. "I'm told you can cook really well. My pet's okay but it's all pretty basic. I'm giving you my token, go get some good stuff and make a meal to remember." He said and Tesra practically sagged in relief.

"Of course Grimmjow-sama! Should I get a bottle of wine too?" He asked and Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah, just try to keep it all under twenty thousand yen." He said and Ichigo blinked. That was a really high budget for supper, in his opinion anyway. "You can clean up afterwards too, the works." Tesra nodded, looking almost cheerful now. That was probably part of his duties to Nnoitra anyway. "Oi, Ichigo, you go with him and make sure he doesn't go over budget." Grimmjow ordered and Ichigo nodded. He wasn't that eager to spend time with Tesra but it would be a chance to get out of the house.

The fraccion checked out the pantry and the fridge before he began making notes on a pad of paper. Grimmjow left, not telling either of them what he was up to. Tesra sucked on the end of his pen before suddenly speaking, to Ichigo's surprise.

"Does Grimmjow-sama like chocolate?" He asked and Ichigo hesitated. He was tempted to refuse to help the fraccion but that might get him in trouble later. And besides, was any of this really Tesra's fault? He was just a fraccion, no one important.

"He loves chocolate, especially paired with raspberries." He answered and Tesra smiled, jotting something down. "What are you thinking of making?" He was really pretty curious. He'd be eating it too, after all. The fraccion's smile widened.

"Slow cooked beef short ribs in an asian sauce, with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Hmmm… I think I'll make a beet salad with feta cheese for an appetizer and chocolate molten lava cake with raspberry coulis for dessert." Ichigo blinked at the rather ambitious menu. The molten cake, in particular, was impressive. He had no idea how to do that. And what was coulis? It sounded French.

"Er, what is coulis?" He asked awkwardly but fortunately, Tesra didn't mind explaining.

"A thick sauce. I'll need to strain the seeds out with cheesecloth. I love cooking… but we'd better get shopping. The short ribs should be slow cooked for at least six hours." He said and Ichigo checked the time. It was almost ten. "Longer is better."

"Right." He followed Tesra out and soon they were poking through the local markets. Everyone recognized the fraccion for an arrancar – he couldn't exactly hide it, with his mask fragments – and they were treated very, very politely. To Ichigo's surprise, Tesra turned out to be a rather friendly sort. Plenty of the vendors recognized him and greeted him by name before making a bit of small talk which he returned with a smile.

It didn't take them long to get everything. But Tesra decided he had enough time to make even more and picked out the ingredients for a carrot cake. Ichigo was left with the feeling that they would have leftovers but he wasn't about to complain. This almost reminded him of helping Yuzu when she decided to make a real feast…

Forcing away that painful memory, Ichigo helped Tesra carry the bags home. As soon as they were back, Tesra got to work on the short ribs. Ichigo watched for a moment before deciding that the arrancar didn't need any help.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" He offered and Tesra nodded, not taking his attention off his work. Ichigo went to the couch and picked up a heavy, hard cover book. It actually a book devoted to the art of Kido. He'd been astonished to find it at one of the second hand bookstores and he'd eagerly snapped it up. True, he was terrible at kido… but it wasn't like he had much else to do and maybe, just maybe he could take some of his power back.

So he studied the book and experimentally tried out a few of the incantations as Tesra happily took over the kitchen. Nothing happened, but that was no real surprise. He still didn't quite grasp the beginning part, which was very theoretical. He frowned and went back, rereading it. He would reread it as many times as it took for things to stick.

The rest of the day passed quite peacefully. Tesra's carrot cake turned out magnificently and he almost cooed over it, especially after it was iced and decorated with crushed pecans. The arrancar used a stencil to get a heart of crushed nuts on it, to Ichigo's amusement.

"It's not Grimmjow's style, but he'll definitely eat it." He said with a smile. The whole meal was shaping up wonderfully and Grimmjow would be home soon. Tesra smiled back before setting the cake aside. "When will you make the chocolate cakes?" The raspberry syrup was already done. He preferred to think of it as syrup.

"Those have to be made just before they're served. It's really not hard." He assured Ichigo, who gave him a skeptical look. "Really! Here, why don't I show you?"

"Uh? …Sure." And so he got a crash course in how to make a chocolate molten lava cake. It actually was surprisingly easy, when you used the microwave to melt the chocolate anyway. Tesra preferred a double boiler but showed him the microwave method. He got to try their creation as the arrancar set the table. Grimmjow arrived just as he was finishing.

"Looks like someone's getting into the sweets early." He said with a grin and Ichigo flushed slightly as bright blue eyes trailed down his body before coming back up. Ichigo didn't have time to say anything before the arrancar stepped close and suddenly kissed him, his tongue intruding into his mouth. Ichigo let it happen, partly because it was smart but also because he was surprised. Grimmjow rarely showed much interest in kissing. "That does taste good. Can't wait to have one of my own." He said as they parted and Ichigo blinked at him.

"You were trying to taste the cake?" He said in disbelief then suddenly smiled. It almost seemed adorable. "Do you even know about kissing?" He asked and Grimmjow snorted, turning away.

"Of course I do! …It just ain't what hollows do." He said grudgingly and Ichigo wondered why. He wasn't going to question it, though, with Tesra putting out the beet salad.

They all ate together and it was a truly wonderful meal. Ichigo hadn't had anything this quality since Yuzu had made a holiday feast… or maybe the one time their father had taken them to a fancy restaurant for a momentous occasion. What had that been again? Oh yes, the year the mortgage on the house was paid off. Ichigo sighed to himself as he ate the short ribs. It seemed like that had been forever ago. Had it really just been two years?

Pulling his mind away from painful thoughts, he tried to pay attention to Grimmjow and Tesra. They were talking about their duties. The fraccion seemed entirely at ease, now, probably because Grimmjow was showing no interest in his body. Ichigo wondered if Nnoitra ever used him that way, then shook his head. From the few things Grimm had let drop, Nnoitra fancied himself a ladies man.

"I hear Nnoi managed to get a new woman after Gin stole the last one off him." Grimm said and Ichigo glanced up, suddenly interested. He knew that Nnoitra had managed to claim Matsumoto, but Gin hadn't liked it one bit. It took a while for claims to wear off, though, and they could only be broken by another arrancar. That wouldn't have done Gin much good. Tesra nodded, a touch sadly.

"She's not as great a beauty as Rangiku-chan was, but my master says she's adequate. I'm afraid Unohana-sama is a bit… unhappy with Nnoitra-sama, however." He said with a bit of genuine fear in his voice and Ichigo noted that Unohana got the same honorific as Nnoitra. "Her name is Kotetsu Isane, she was Unohana-sama's fukutaichou."

"Was? Shit, is he keeping her cooped up in the house? Retsu's gonna rip his balls off!" Grimmjow shook his head with a grin as Tesra nodded mournfully. "Damn. Tell that idiot to just let her go to work and come home. You probably cook better than the bitch anyhow."

"I really cannot do that Grimmjow-sama." Tesra said, a touch hopelessly and Grimmjow nodded.

"No, reckon you can't. Nnoitra would _definitely_ rip your balls off. Oh well, leave him to Unohana. I'm sure she'll manage to get Aizen moving sooner or later." He said cheerfully and Ichigo frowned, wondering what was going on. He really had no idea how the other soul reapers were doing… even if he was allowed into the market sometimes, no one really talked about such things. Wetting his lips, he decided to take a chance.

"Unohana still has her Division?" He asked. It sure sounded like it. Grimmjow frowned at him but Tesra answered.

"Oh yes. She's one of the few who still has a fully intact Division." He said and Ichigo swallowed, sans food. That sounded like things with the other Divisions were… rough. Grimmjow scowled, no doubt feeling his distress.

"Oi, don't bother him with that Tesra. Nothin' he can do anyway." Grimmjow said gruffly and Ichigo frowned, glancing at the arrancar. It almost sounded like…

_Is he protecting me from things?_ He wondered as he ate. _Why would he do that?_ Then he sighed to himself as a reason came to him. _He's probably doesn't want to get too much negativity through the Claim._ He wasn't sure how much that bothered Grimmjow, but the Espada did feel a lot from him. And Grimmjow had told him once that he'd never imagined such a wide range of emotions, until he'd held a shinigami's claim. That had almost made Ichigo feel sorry for him. _No, it does make me feel sorry for him. Are the only emotions he can truly feel hatred, rage and lust?_ Although Grimmjow could laugh. Maybe he was learning.

After supper was done he helped put the leftovers away, but left Tesra to clean up. Grimmjow gave him permission to go home as soon as he was done and the arrancar went at it with good cheer. Ichigo and Grimmjow went to the bedroom, the Espada's arm comfortably around his waist.

"Did you have a good time?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo blinked at the question.

"It was alright. The food was good." He said cautiously. "The wine was excellent." He'd really enjoyed that part of the evening. He was still a teenager, although he was probably eighteen now. The legal age to drink in Japan was twenty, so this was almost his first experience with alcohol. Almost, because Isshin had let him have a small glass at special occasions. Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah, that shit was good." The Espada seemed a little preoccupied, though. He started to undress himself and Ichigo sighed to himself before following suit. "You know, I wanted to try this romance thing shinigami talk about. But I don't know how." Grimmjow sounded frustrated and Ichigo looked up at him in shock from where he was taking off his pants. Was that what the point of this night had been?

"Romance usually involves just two people." He said neutrally and Grimmjow grunted, looking away as he sat down on the bed.

"I thought of that, but I didn't want to make Tesra eat in the living room or something. That'd just be awkward and I wanted him to do the dishes so you wouldn't have to worry about it." He said and Ichigo nodded, feeling an odd tightness in his chest. "And you seemed to like him."

"He's okay." For an arrancar, Tesra was actually very nice. If he'd been human Ichigo imagined they would have been friends. Grimmjow… might have been a friend too, actually. A scary, Kenpachi-like friend. "It was a good night." He offered, sliding into bed beside the Espada and gently putting a hand on his shoulder. Grimmjow seemed disappointed, somehow, and he didn't know why. "I… appreciate the effort." It took a bit to say that but Grimm was trying. The arrancar just looked at him for a moment, his blue eyes cold and remote.

"Don't know what I was hoping for." He said and Ichigo had the feeling he was talking to himself. "Let's try this kissing thing then, since I don't have a beard this time." He said and that was just puzzling.

"A beard? Why would that stop you from kissing?" He said blankly and Grimmjow chuckled, a deep, warm sound. A hand cupped his cheek and Ichigo was drawn into a surprisingly gentle kiss. True to his words, Grimmjow seemed to have no experience. Ichigo was just glad he wasn't getting bitten. He'd honestly have expected teeth and bruising pressure from this man.

"My woman hated it. Said kissing me was like fucking a porcupine." He explained and Ichigo choked a bit at the image. "But I couldn't shave it off… I'd've been shaving three times a day, fucking thing grew like kudzu vine. I just took clippers to it every day, keeping the damned thing under control. So yeah, no kissing."

"Oh." Ichigo tried to imagine Grimmjow with a beard. His imagination failed completely. "Well, let's… fix that." Not that he was eager to spend time kissing Grimm, but it beat being fucked against the wall. And… he wasn't sure about this strange mood Grimmjow was in. He wanted to see where it would go. The Espada grinned before kissing him again. This time the bones of his mask scraped against his cheek and Ichigo gently adjusted things to avoid that. It wasn't too painful, but it wasn't enjoyable.

Things progressed from there and Grimmjow began to indulge in real foreplay, something that had always been a bit absent in their 'relationship.' Ichigo gasped as he was eased onto his back and warm lips fastened on one of his nipples. Big, callused hands, so adept and crushing hopes and lives, caressed him almost gently. He let it happen, closing his eyes and trying not to think about anything but the pleasure of his body. If he pretended hard enough, he might be able to think this was someone else… Renji or Uryu or even Kisuke…

Then Grimmjow gripped his hips and Ichigo knew what he was about to do. But it would break the illusion of caring so he opened his eyes and grabbed the Espada's wrist, looking into surprised and puzzled blue eyes.

"No. Take me… from the front. Like real lovers." He said, although he knew that wasn't entirely fair. Plenty of people preferred it doggy style. Grimmjow frowned, sitting back a bit. That displayed his body and Ichigo swallowed, glancing away. He did look good and he knew every inch of the Espada's body, intimately.

"That's not for claiming." He said in a rough, almost angry voice and Ichigo looked at him, shocked. "Don't tease me." He snarled and the teenager blinked, trying to understand.

"Fucking hollow." He muttered to his other self. His hollow could _damned_ well have explained this, if he'd cared to. Grimmjow scowled and Ichigo hastened to explain. "Not you, my inner hollow… I don't understand. What do you mean?" He asked and the scowl lessened. Blue eyes scanned his face for a moment before Grimmjow let out a breath, calming himself.

"Shinigami don't do it the same way." He said, almost reminding himself. "Look, Ichigo. Claiming is done from behind. It's the typical adjuchas position." He said with a growl in his voice and Ichigo nodded. The animal-like adjuchas would have trouble with anything else. "But vasto lorde are different. Taking someone from the front, looking into their eyes when you do them… that's the mate position. It's supposed to mean something." A big hand circled his thigh and warm, callused fingers began to draw circles on his skin. "You want to look into my eyes when I fuck you?" He asked and Ichigo suddenly faltered. He'd thought that being turned around would break the illusion he was creating, that Grimmjow was someone else, but… looking into his face…

"I… no." He said softly, looking away. "Not… right now. Maybe someday." He said, more strongly as he looked up and met blue eyes. "Shinigami don't do things that way. Positions don't matter as much." He said honestly and Grimmjow nodded. He'd probably picked up on that. "But not today." Maybe it did mean something because he was suddenly reluctant to be that intimate with the arrancar. He was right, being taken from behind did impart a kind of distance. Taking a deep breath, he got on his hands and knees, baring his body for the Espada. Warm fingers began violating him and Ichigo grit his teeth, dropping his head. It felt good and that made the sickness, the disgust rise again. But Grimmjow was trying to do… something. He wasn't sure what and he was pretty sure the arrancar didn't know, either.

Then the Espada was going inside him, his body a heavy weight against Ichigo's back. The teenager groaned softly, adjusting to that familiar burn. For once, Grimmjow gave him some time to get used to it before pounding into him. Ichigo's breath caught as a hand encircled his cock, jerking him off with expert skill as the Espada gave his insides his full attention.

"Feel so fucking good…" Grimmjow growled and Ichigo flushed, unable to stop the familiar flash of shame. Sharp teeth nipped at his throat, raising just a few drops of blood and making him jerk at the minor, almost pleasurable pain. "Love that so much, don't you? Bitch." That almost hurt, after all that stuff about romance.

"Grimmjow… romance… doesn't involve dirty talk…" Ichigo forced out, managing to concentrate despite the way that hard cock was grinding against his prostate. The pressure was just so damned good… then the pace faltered and he let out a whimper of need before he could stop himself. There was a dark chuckle behind him and then that cock was stabbing him again, pulling a surprised gasp from his throat.

"You think… I should say I love you or some… shit?" Grimmjow growled and Ichigo almost smiled, even in the midst of this dark, forbidden pleasure. Those fangs nipped the back of his neck this time, reminding him of how big cats mated. "I would but… it'd be a fucking… lie." He snarled as he speeded his thrusts, his big hand stroking Ichigo's cock faster and faster. Ichigo's breathing sped up and he had to bite his lip to hide how much that was affecting him. "Don't even know what love is…" He growled and Ichigo was certain that was the absolute truth. How could a broken, bitter, tormented soul like Grimmjow have any idea?

Ichigo stiffened as his orgasm suddenly hit, rolling over him and making his body clamp down on Grimmjow's cock like a vise. The Espada behind him suddenly cursed, jerking once more before cumming inside him. Ichigo could feel the spurts, the way the arrancar's cock pulsed inside him as he emptied himself into his body. Breathing heavily, he lowered his forehead to the bedsheets while fighting off the familiar shame and disgust. Unohana was right. His body was reacting the way it was designed to. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

Before he fell asleep, Ichigo turned his head to look at the arrancar behind him. Grimmjow had already dropped off and looked almost innocent, fully asleep. For a moment, Ichigo felt a strange kind of pity for him. He was so lost, searching for something he didn't even understand. Sighing to himself, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

There was nothing he could do for Grimmjow. There was nothing he could do for himself.

* * *

Grimmjow walked slowly through the courtyard, frowning at the squelching sound his feet were making. Looking down, he examined his boots for a moment. They were thickly stained with red and every step raised more.

_Not my problem. Kurosaki can deal with it._ Grimmjow thought, then lifted his foot, regarding it with a frown. _…Nah. Just throw them out._ If Ichigo had to deal with this shit it would take him hours and that would take his attention away from something far more important… himself. And that was if removing the stains was even possible. Might be, his boots were black, but the arrancar doubted it. _Whatever._

Giving his attention back to the… no, it wasn't a battlefield, what did you call this shit anyway…? he charged up a bala and idly finished off a man who was choking to death on his own blood. Then he paused on a woman before charging up another bala. None of this shit needed cero. Then, to his surprise, her eyes opened.

"No… Akane…" She coughed and reached for something. He glanced over to see the body of a little girl, maybe five years old. She wasn't moving and wouldn't be, ever again. He glanced down at the woman and saw her eyes were unfocused. She probably didn't get what was happening, but he spoke anyway.

"Look on the bright side. No one ate her, and I'm not gonna eat you. So you might see her in the Living World." From what he understood that was where dead souls went. Then he released his bala, punching a hole in her and letting more blood spill over the already saturated courtyard. Grunting to himself, he shoved his hands in his pockets and went on looking for survivors. Why the hell had he drawn cleanup duty? Oh yeah. It had been a mild punishment for his disobedience.

_Kurosaki has no idea how much he should be thanking me right now._ Grimmjow glanced towards the platform that had just recently housed the surviving taichou of Soul Society. Ukitake, Shunsui, Hitsugaya and Byakuya had all been there. The only one who had been spared was Unohana, because healers just couldn't be expected to watch this kind of shit. However, there had also been a few others… the Quincy bitch and the dude with the red hair. Aizen's orders had said taichou- _class,_ not taichou. He'd been a bit unhappy when Grimmjow had shown up without a certain taichou-class shinigami/hollow thing, but he'd pretended to be a dumbass and said he'd misunderstood the instructions and thought the prick just wanted taichou. Grimmjow was anticipating a whipping later, but he would take it. Anything to keep Kurosaki's teeth in his head.

_I might have stuck a collar on him, but he's still a fucking wolf._ Grimmjow thought, smiling dreamily as he ended another life with a casual kick of a booted foot. Brains smeared his heel but he didn't care. They were all ants to him, less than nothing. The only favor he was doing them was not eating them and letting them go on to the cycle of life. _If he saw all this… had to stand on that stage and do nothing… he'd break._ Grimmjow knew that, with a cold certainty. Ichigo couldn't handle this. He would snap under the weight of his own failure and the suffering that he had caused. Well, no, he hadn't caused it. But he would feel that way in his head. _I don't want a fucking puppy on my leash._ If Kurosaki gave up, he wouldn't be fun anymore.

"Oi!" That childish, female voice made him look up in surprise. Lilinette was running through the courtyard, headless of the blood splashing her legs. "Grimmjow! Want some help?" She offered and he blinked, surprised by the offer.

"If you want. You eager to kick puppies?" He asked and Lilinette just shrugged, falling in beside him.

"Just bored. Starrk isn't giving me much to do and playing with Shiro ain't much fun anymore." She said and Grimmjow wondered what that 'play' consisted of. Maybe it was real childish games, or maybe it wasn't. Most people thought otherwise but he was pretty sure Lili was Starrk's darker half. She was also less powerful, which was good for everyone else. "You havin' fun kickin' puppies?" She asked and Grimmjow grunted sourly.

"No." He snarled back and let her have the head. Her little balas might be pathetic but they were more than enough to dispatch civilians. "Squishing puppies and drowning baby ducks is just a fucking bore. Give me a goddamned wolf every time." He longed for a good fight. He desperately wished some of the resistance groups could pull their shit together enough to give him an honest battle. Right now he had to settle for Kurosaki and while the mask helped, he needed his damned sword. He couldn't do a Getsuga Tenshou without it. "I don't know why Aizen is doing this." He really didn't understand. Lilinette just shrugged before she stomped on something alive. It promptly stopped living.

"Aizen's smarter 'n us. He must know what he's doin', ya?" She said and Grimmjow frowned. She was right but…

"It's like he's breeding wolves." He said softly and Lili shot him a curious look through her one, pink eye. "You know how to make a man dangerous, Lili? Take away anything he gives a shit about. Then you've got a dangerous man." He explained as she just looked at him. "Look at this shit. This is noon and they swept up most of these people from the fucking market. Who goes out shopping this time of day? It's the women and they take the kids with 'em to carry shit." Oh, he could picture that. He knew how it went. "Sure, plenty of men too, they get days off but we got more women than men here. Wonder how many of the menfolk will come home wonderin' why supper ain't ready?" He asked softly. He could picture that, too.

"You sound like you know about that." Lilinette observed and Grimmjow nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets again as they kept walking.

"Yeah. I remember my time in the Living World. I was always a wolf, but my woman and my kids, they were my fucking collar. Until they weren't." He said before grinning, slowly. It was a dark, vicious expression. "The fuckers regretted that, before it was over."

"You killed a lot of people?" Lili asked with ghoulish enthusiasm. Grimmjow nodded.

"More than I can count." He said easily. "And I can count past fifty." He'd been a bad man, when he was alive. Aizen said he wasn't hell bound but Grimm honestly wasn't sure why. Maybe… maybe it was because it hadn't all been about revenge. No, he'd been fighting for something, not just against. And maybe it was because he hadn't killed any innocents. No, he'd been good about that… until now. "This shit though. Why is Aizen breeding wolves?" He wondered, then sighed. "Although with the reiatsu difference, I guess we'll be lucky to get a few l'il foxes." That was the main difference between Soul Society and the Living World. In the Living World, anyone with the proper mental equipment could become a wolf. In Soul Society, if you didn't have enough reiatsu you were never going to amount to much. Lilinette scratched her head before kicking away something wet and heavy.

"Dunno. Maybe he's doing it like this 'cuz that's how it's always been done." She hazarded and Grimm quirked an eyebrow at her. "Shiro's been all tense and worried for days. I caught him crying in the garden yesterday an' I asked what was up. He just hugged me." She rolled her eye and Grimmjow snickered at the thought. Ukitake had NO fucking idea what Lili really was or he never would've done something so stupid. "Think he knew this was gonna go down."

"Hmm. You think this is a shinigami thing?" The idea was intriguing and it struck Grimmjow as quite possible. "If that's so, why were they so upset?" He knew the little one, Hitsugaya, had been close to losing his mind. His face had been like stone but Hal had actually pulled him towards her, putting his face against her chest. She was normally as empathetic as a rock so something really bad must have been going down the claim. Lili shrugged.

"Maybe it hasn't happened for a while." She said and Grimmjow mulled it over as he watched her toss around a few more balas. That little taichou was pretty young, maybe he'd never seen a massacre before. Maybe the others had. They'd still looked like shit but then, it was their own people dying. "But hey, what do we care. More wolves, yay!" She grinned at him, making a victory gesture and Grimmjow just stared for a moment before bursting into laughter. He laid a hand on that little back, grinning.

"You're alright kid." He said approvingly. Sure, he had a feeling that Lili was evil as fuck, but what did he care? Then he grimaced as there was a tug on his reiatsu. "Shit." He dropped his hand as the Primera's feminine side looked at him questioningly. "Aizen wants me. You gonna be okay here?"

"Sure." She said indifferently and Grimmjow nodded before heading off to take his punishment. He wasn't worried about Lilinette, she had the Primera on speed dial. And besides, she was having fun.

Squishing puppies was definitely her thing.

* * *

Grimmjow hissed softly as he walked back to the house. Spotting the familiar door, he paused to kick off his boots and toss them into a garbage can. Then he looked at his hakama and reached down, tearing off most of the legs. He couldn't just kick them off, he didn't wear anything beneath them. Aizen and the others had beaten a small sense of propriety into him, so he wasn't going to show off his junk to the whole neighborhood.

Tossing the badly soiled fabric into the same can, he paused to glance himself over. He wasn't really that bloody anymore. He'd been careful not to splatter himself. Satisfied that his appearance would give Kurosaki no clue, he headed for home. He winced in pain as the jacket rubbed the fresh wounds on his back, but didn't take it off. He'd be damned if he'd show his abraded back to any gawkers.

"Yo, shinigami!" He said as soon as he got in the house, glancing around. Ichigo was sitting at the breakfast nook, looking at some huge tome of a book. It was new and he made a mental note to ask about it before jerking a thumb at his back. "You know a bit about fucking doctoring, yah? Get out the kit." He commanded and Kurosaki looked stupefied for a moment.

"Wait, you're hurt?" He said and Grimmjow sighed before carefully removing his jacket. It still stuck in places and he growled as a few scabs were pulled loose, setting blood free. "Who did this?" Ichigo asked, clearly seeing the whip marks for what they were. "Here, lie down." He commanded and Grimmjow obeyed, gingerly taking a spot on the couch.

"Aizen. That's why they're not healing, by the way." He said shortly. "Reiatsu poisoning." He added as Kurosaki frowned. "They'll take days to heal." It would be a normal human rate of healing, with the amount of reiatsu Aizen had infused the whip with. "Just take care of them, would you?" It would still hurt but he honestly didn't want scars over something like this. Ichigo nodded.

"I'll have to stitch some of them." He warned and Grimmjow just nodded. He'd been sure that was coming. He closed his eyes and just waited as Ichigo got the kit from the bathroom. With the injuries that occurred with regular sparring, he'd long since put together a comprehensive first aid kit.

The next half hour kind of sucked. Grimmjow grit his teeth and endured the pain as Kurosaki cleaned then sewed together abused flesh. He had to deliberately lower his hierro to make it happen, too, and that was unpleasant. But finally it was done and he gingerly sat up, glancing over his shoulder before nodding. It looked nasty right now, but it was a good bit of work.

"What did he whip you for?" Ichigo asked in a neutral tone and Grimmjow shrugged slightly. The motion hurt, not that he'd show it.

"Being my usual self." He said and saw a small smile cross that face. Kurosaki had a nice smile, on the few occasions he used it. "What's for supper?" He asked, to get past anymore questions. He wasn't going to tell Ichigo what his day had been like. The teen shrugged.

"Baked fish in hoisin sauce with rice and steamed vegetables." He said and Grimmjow nodded.

"Sounds alright." Definitely on the Japanese end of things, but Ichigo was Japanese. It was only expected that he'd cook like it sometimes. "Want to play some cribbage?" He offered. That was a good game for two people. Ichigo nodded.

"Sure, but I need to get the vegetables going." He did that as Grimmjow set out the game board and got them a few beers. He was very fond of that drink. No surprise, it had been one of his favorite things when he'd been alive. Vodka had been up there, too.

The rest of the night went pleasantly. They ate as they played and made a bit of small talk, just getting along. Grimmjow managed to make Ichigo laugh again, this time with a rather colorful account of Findorr's personality and the need to keep him away from any farm animals. Grimmjow was pleased with the accomplishment.

It was odd. He thought about it for a moment as he watched Kurosaki through heavily lidded eyes. He'd never had a Claim before, never found anyone worthy of the honor. And while Ichigo might not think so, it was an honor, being the very first person to impress and inspire him enough to take as a pet. So he'd never expected how much emotion he would feel through the claim.

To be fair, he strongly suspected that hollows couldn't have given him this much feedback. Their emotions were more limited. From Kurosaki, he was getting a constant flavour of emotions on his tongue, ranging from dark depression and anger all the way to joy. Grimmjow was discovering that he strongly disliked the miasma of depression that often weighed the teen down. That, more than anything, was why he was keeping the darker aspects of the new Soul Society a secret from him. Why torture him with shit he couldn't change… and by extension, torture himself through the Claim?

Grimmjow liked the taste of Ichigo's anger, fed on his fury, but he loved the joy and pleasure even more. Laughter was truly a medicine and to his surprise, it seemed to calm the endless rage in his soul. He liked it, wanted to feel more of it, but those moments were hard to come by. Sometimes the most unexpected things triggered them. He'd simply made a remark about the weather one day and Kurosaki had almost lost it. Grimmjow still hadn't figured that out but he'd enjoyed it.

For a moment, he was tempted to try inspiring some emotions in bed. But he reluctantly shelved the idea. His back hurt and it was going to hurt for days. That just wasn't sexy so sexy time would have to wait. A few games later – he lost pretty badly but didn't care, beer was good for that – Grimmjow pushed himself away from the table.

"I'm going to bed. Join me whenever." He said and Ichigo looked up with an undecipherable look before nodding. They both knew that when he went to bed before the shinigami, sex was not required. He still wanted Ichigo to sleep with him, but that was some kind of weird comfort thing. Grimmjow wasn't going to admit it to anyone but himself, but it felt good to have a warm body beside his. His old pack had slept together like that, sharing body heat.

Going to the bedroom he stripped, then lay down on his stomach. Sleep came easily, as it always did, and the dreams that followed were full of blood and gore and screams. None of it touched him.

He was as bad as Lilinette.


	4. I Hate to See You Cry

Ichigo was in trouble.

He'd known he was in trouble as soon as the words had left his mouth. Calling Grimmjow a bastard was fine… as long as they were behind closed doors. Right in front of Nnoitra and Ulquiorra did not count as closed doors. But Orihime had been there too and the sight of her so downcast and clearly worried for him had made him angry. He'd felt an instinctive need to be strong for her and that had led to his mistake.

If it had just been Ulquiorra there might have been some chance of escaping punishment. He regarded most insults with indifference, even when they were aimed at him. An insult directed towards Grimmjow was beneath his notice. But Nnoitra was another matter. He'd immediately started making fun of Grimmjow, rubbing it in his face that his 'pet' needed a good hiding. And Ichigo was certain that was what he would be getting. The only question was how painful it would be.

"I'm sorry." He said as soon as they were home, hating himself for the weakness in his own voice. But he'd been punished before, many times, and he really didn't want to go through that again. Grimmjow turned around and gripped him by the throat, shoving him against the door. Ichigo gripped his wrist, gagging at the unforgiving pressure and cringing a little inside at the cold anger he saw in those vibrant blue eyes.

"You should be." Grimmjow growled before abruptly letting go. Ichigo caught himself, leaning against the wall and gasping. "Bedroom, now."

_No!_ Ichigo tried with all his might to resist the command, but he simply couldn't. His overall reiatsu might be stronger than Grimmjow's… he wasn't sure… but with as often as he refreshed the claim, it didn't matter. Struggling only slowed him down slightly and Grimmjow fixed that with a swat on the bottom. That completely disrupted his resistance and he found himself moving at a normal pace. A prisoner in his own body, he could only do what the Claim demanded of him.

"Get undressed." Grimmjow growled behind him and Ichigo shuddered just a bit before his hands went to his clothing. It had been a long time since the last sexual punishment. Grimmjow usually favored whipping or caning, simple beatings that he could take fairly easily. But he'd dished out a few sexual torments to help him realize the true hopelessness of his situation. Grimmjow didn't know about cock rings but he seemed to know about the concept. The knotted rope he'd used to achieve the effect had probably been worse than something more modern.

_Wait. He's still dressed._ Ichigo had time to realize that the Espada wasn't naked before he was yanked onto Grimmjow's lap. To his shock and near horror, he found himself turned over like a child, his ass in the air. The painful swat to his bottom that followed made his eyes water. Ichigo bit his lip as the blows continued. This was more a beating than a spanking, although Grimmjow was only using a fraction of his strength. The pain and humiliation burned him and Ichigo was breathing heavily by the time the arrancar stopped.

"That's good enough." He said after a moment examining his handiwork and Ichigo bit back a groan. His ass was burning and he was sure he wouldn't be sitting properly tomorrow. "But you've made me hot, shinigami. And you haven't earned a good fucking." Grimmjow said and Ichigo flushed, more in anger than anything. "So…" Then he landed on the floor, his knees hitting the carpet as a hard hand in his hair yanked his face into position in front of the arrancar's hakama. The bulge there was very obvious. "Suck me off."

That order wasn't claim enforced. Ichigo could have tried to disobey but he knew better. Instead, he reached up and opened the hakama, freeing Grimmjow's length from his clothing. Feeling sicker than he had in months, he gripped the base of that erection and put it in his mouth, beginning to suck. The taste wasn't bad but right now it made him want to gag. Everything about this made him want to throw up.

The suffering and nausea increased as he held his throat open, struggling to take the arrancar. The hand in his hair fell away as Grimmjow gripped the edge of the bed, groaning softly at the pleasure he was receiving. Ichigo slid his tongue along the underside of his cock, the way he knew the Espada liked, and hated himself for it. But he wanted this to be over.

When Grimmjow came in his mouth it was fast and unexpected. Ichigo tried to swallow but choked and suddenly the nausea overwhelmed him. Even though he knew it was stupid – he was begging for another punishment – he had to jerk away and run out of the room. He got to the toilet just in time to retch violently. It took a few coughs before he brought up his lunch and the semen he'd been forced to swallow. Gripping the toilet he choked and coughed again before sobbing harshly. He was painfully aware of the hot tears on his cheeks, the firestorm of rage, pain, disgust and horror that was filling his mind.

"Shhh. Calm down." Ichigo coughed again, shaking his head, but the Claim was inescapable. Gentle calm filled his mind and caused his body to relax. Then arms were around him and he tried weakly to pull away, but they held him close. "Shhh." Grimmjow carried him out of the bathroom, mindful of his bruised posterior. Ichigo just slumped against him, feeling mentally and physically exhausted. He didn't resist or do much at all, as the arrancar tucked him into bed. "Sleep." Another Claim enforced command. Ichigo's eyes drooped unwillingly as he felt a thumb stroke his jawbone with surprising gentleness. "I hate it when you cry." Grimmjow's voice was hardly above a whisper and Ichigo wondered, just before he dropped off, if he had imagined it.

Then sleep claimed him and he knew nothing more.

* * *

"Yo, shinigami. Wake up." Ichigo clawed his way out of a dreamless sleep to see Grimmjow standing over him. He tried to sit up and gasped as his bruised body let him know why that wasn't a good idea. "You've slept in."

"I, what?" Ichigo glanced at the window and paled as he realized that it was well past when he should have started breakfast. "I'm sorry." He quickly apologized but Grimmjow snorted, waving it away.

"For what? I used the Claim to put you out. It's my fault, not yours." He said and Ichigo blinked as he realized the arrancar was right. That had completely slipped his mind. "I don't need to eat anyway. I'm leaving, you can do whatever." Ichigo stared at him, shocked.

"I can leave the house?" He asked just to make sure and Grimmjow grunted before shrugging.

"Yeah, you can leave the fucking house. I think you learned your lesson." He said gruffly and Ichigo was honestly surprised. Grimmjow didn't hold things against him much – he believed that punishments were lessons and meant to teach – but he still usually didn't reward him so soon after a punishment. And being allowed out of the house was definitely a reward. "Just be careful. Things are a bit gnarly, especially in the Rukongai." He warned and Ichigo nodded.

"Okay." That gave him an idea of where to go. It had been forever since he'd gone to the Rukongai and it was as lawless as always. Even without Zangetsu he would be safe enough and it would be interesting, at least.

Grimmjow departed and wincing a little in pain, Ichigo made himself breakfast. After eating the eggs and bacon, he made his way to the Rukongai. Sitting was more of a problem than walking. He took his practice sword. It might not be Zangetsu but it was still better than nothing.

His mood was foul and he almost wished someone would pick a fight with him, but the thugs in the Rukongai seemed to sense that. Or perhaps it was just a calm, quiet day. Tilting his head back, Ichigo half-closed his eyes and enjoyed the summer sun. They were heading into autumn now. Soon summer days would be a thing of the past and he reflected on how long it had been. And he remembered, with a pang, the date of his mother's death. He'd wanted to go visit her grave but Grimmjow hadn't been willing to ask Aizen for permission. The Espada hadn't been willing to say why, just that it wasn't a good idea.

"He probably wasn't lying." Ichigo muttered to himself before sighing. Grimmjow was probably right. Asking Aizen for things was always dangerous, from the few things he'd overheard. It was probably better not to tempt fate. And he'd created a little shrine to her and the rest of his family in the backyard. It wasn't much but Grimmjow didn't care so he at least had that.

There was a sound of a girl sobbing and Ichigo looked up with a frown. He hesitated a moment. It really wasn't his business what the people in the Rukongai did to each other. But the instinct that had led him to help a ghost, so long ago, wouldn't let him just walk on by. He followed the sound to the source and stiffened as he saw the scene.

One of the lower ranked Numero had a young woman pinned against the side of a filthy tenement. It was clear from the way he was tearing away her panties, what he intended to do with her. She was so young though. Hardly older than Karen and Yuzu would have been… that thought galvanized him and Ichigo lashed out with his sword. It didn't really hurt the arrancar, just giving him a thin slice. If it had been Zangetsu it would have cut him in half. The arrancar leapt away with a startled cry and the girl collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. The Numero gripped his side before scowling at him.

"Fuck off, pet!" He snapped and Ichigo's eyes narrowed. Any arrancar could easily tell he was claimed, but they couldn't tell who held his leash. And Grimmjow's words on the matter had not been Claim enforced, but they had been abundantly clear.

_If another Espada or a Privaron Espada orders you to do something, you do it, unless you've got a damned good reason not to. If a Numero orders you? Fuck them! You're the pet of an Espada and I don't want you answering to those ants._

"Get out of here or I'll kill you." He said in a deathly calm voice. He was tempted to just strike the bastard down, but not having Zangetsu made it more challenging. The Numero looked stunned for a moment before starting forward with naked aggression in his body language.

"I think someone needs to learn his place." He spat and Ichigo tossed the copy of Zangetsu aside before reaching up and summoning his hollow mask. It would be messier – a lot messier – but he didn't need a weapon to dispose of this piece of garbage.

He was right. His hollow even woke up for it, cackling and lending him some rather vicious encouragement. Ichigo didn't need help in that area, though. It felt good to take out his fury on someone who really, truly deserved it. The Numero put up a good fight but he finally plunged his hand into his chest in a way that reminded him of Ulquiorra. Not a good thing, but without a weapon he had limited options. Shaking the blood off his hand he glared at the corpse as it vanished. There was another sob and he turned to look at the girl he'd rescued.

"Ichi-nii?" He froze in absolute shock as he met warm brown eyes, saw a very familiar face. Older now, it had been over a year, but still completely recognizable. "Ichi-nii…!"

"Yuzu?" He breathed as she suddenly hugged him, heedless of the blood. He hugged her, ignoring the stains he was leaving on her clothes. "Yuzu…!" Ichigo couldn't believe it. She and Karin had been in Karakura town… or had they? Had his father done something? But if so, how had they died? "Yuzu." Tears mingled with brown hair as Ichigo hugged her tightly. It felt like the light had suddenly been returned to his life. His sisters were here, they were alive… "Karin? Yuzu, is Karin…?" He suddenly pulled back and she nodded, sniffling.

"We're living in a little place here, Ichi-nii." She said softly and Ichigo nodded, speechless. "I'll take you to see her."

"Uh, right." He said, dazed. Yuzu smiled and he followed her through the warren that was the Rukongai. A few people gave them glances but his warning glares urged them to look away. The place they reached was a dilapidated hut and Ichigo winced a little at the condition of it. The Rukongai was full of the very poor but this was definitely on the bad side.

"Karin?" Yuzu called softly as she entered the hut and Ichigo glanced around, swallowing hard. The inside was as barren as the outside, with nothing but a clay chamber pot and a pair of sleeping mats. The contents of one stirred with a growl.

"What the hell is it? I'm trying to sleep." Karin sat up, rubbing her eyes and Ichigo realized she was much too thin. Yuzu looked the same as always but Karin was clearly starving. He swallowed as he remembered… plus souls with high spiritual pressure needed to eat, just like shinigami. Karin had always been able to see ghosts.

"It's Ichi-nii! I found him Karin!" Yuzu almost squealed and Karin blinked, lowering her hand. Her eyes went wide as she saw him and she scrambled out of her sleeping mat.

"Ichigo…!" Ichigo laughed and caught her as she lunged at him, hugging her close. "Where the hell have you been? We looked all over for you!" She demanded and he couldn't help but grin. That was Karin.

"I was in the Seireitei, mostly." He explained as she scowled at him. "I haven't come to the Rukongai too often. It was just luck that I found Yuzu." Right before she had almost been… he was very glad he'd killed that arrancar, now. "What happened? How did you end up here?" He still didn't understand that. Karin grimaced as Yuzu looked down.

"Goat face. He put us on a train to Tokyo but something happened. There was some kind of explosion… it really didn't hurt at all. Just a sort of panicked moment." She said and Ichigo nodded sadly. Had that explosion been some kind of aftereffect of building the King's Key, or something unrelated? He would probably never know. "Anyway, we've been here ever since. This place really sucks!" She complained and Ichigo nodded. He knew all about that from his time with Renji. He desperately wanted to get his sisters out of here, now that he knew about them. But… Ichigo bit his lip as he thought.

"I want you to come live with me, but I'll have to ask the – the owner of the house if you can stay." He said softly and Karin frowned as Yuzu looked a bit bewildered. "I'm… kind of living on his charity right now." He wasn't going to explain the Claim to them, although Ichigo doubted he could hide it from them forever. The thought made his chest tight but he couldn't leave them here, either. "Just stay here for now. I'll ask him as soon as I can." That would be tonight after dinner. It would be easier when Grimmjow had de-stressed a little from his day at 'work'.

"What's this guy like Ichi-nii? It is a guy, right?" Karin asked and Ichigo hesitated before nodding. He should probably tell them a bit about Grimmjow.

"Yeah, he is. He's… sort of a rough guy. He likes to fight a lot. But he lets me stay for free as long as I make the meals." He said, leaving a ton of stuff out. But his sisters didn't need to hear that. Karin looked disbelieving as Yuzu goggled at him.

"But you can't cook Ichi-nii! You burn toast!" Yuzu protested and Ichigo smiled as he remembered. That had been a long time ago but Yuzu still thought of him as hopelessly inept.

"I've gotten better. Of course, I'm not as good as you." He said easily. That would be a good hook to use on Grimmjow. Despite not needing to eat, he liked food. Apparently, it reminded him of his living days. Yuzu nodded, still looking rather dubious.

"Yeah, well, whatever. If you can get us out of this shithole I can handle anything." Karin said firmly and Ichigo held back his doubts. What would his sisters think when they found out he was Grimmjow's sex slave? Although maybe, just maybe he could keep the slavery part away from them. It was sickening but he would rather they thought he was the arrancar's lover than his pet.

"If he says yes I'll be back for you tonight." Ichigo promised and they both nodded. Saying his goodbye's, he left the hut with a spring in his step.

His sisters were alive and maybe, just maybe he could protect them. It felt like he'd regained his purpose in life.

* * *

Grimmjow's day went swimmingly.

Not really. He was in a bad mood and he didn't know why. Punishing Ichigo had been necessary. Within a pack, the pack hierarchy had to be kept. If a fraccion had mouthed off like that he would have backhanded them. Pets were below fraccion so a sterner punishment was called for. Spanking had been nice and humiliating and Kurosaki would recover quickly enough. So why did those tears bother him? Why was the whole thing pissing him off?

Growling at himself, he turned a corner and almost ran into a pair of Numeros. They took one look and darted away like startled birds. Normally that would have made him laugh, but today it didn't help much. Completely ignoring the cowering little ants, he made his way to his usual post.

"Yo. You look like shit." He greeted the little shinigami as he barged into his office. Halibel had intricate, involved duties that didn't involve supervising Hitsugaya directly. But since his Division was still somewhat intact and showing a little spine, Grimmjow had been put to watching him. He didn't mind, really. It was boring as hell but he was no administrator, no plotter like Barragan.

"Grimmjow." Hitsugaya said coldly and the Espada frowned. He _really_ looked like shit. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was limp and unwashed, absolutely nothing like the usual hairstyle he favored. "What do you want?"

"Want?" He slumped into a chair, looking over the taichou for a moment. This was supposed to be Halibel's shtick, but expecting her to act like a momma was probably out of the question. "I want you to take a fucking bath, change your clothes and eat something. I'd ask what the fuck is wrong but I already know." Really, he'd be a dumbass not to. Seeing all those innocent people getting massacred had hit the little guy hard. It had hit the whole Seireitei hard, in fact. Grimmjow had been keeping Ichigo close to home because of it and he'd mentioned the Rukongai on purpose. Things were almost normal there and Ichigo was sure to go if he thought it would be interesting. Hitsugaya scowled.

"I don't answer to you." He said sharply which made Grimmjow lift his eyebrows. That was technically correct – Halibel held his Claim and she was above him – but…

"Nah, but Aizen sent me here and you answer to him. Or you want me telling him you're disobeying my orders?" He said and Toshiro paled slightly. They both knew his Division would pay the price for that. "I just want you to take a fucking shower. Come on, get off your ass and take the goddamned shower." Really, was it so hard? Hitsugaya glared at him before suddenly relenting.

"Fine. But you're not coming with me." He growled and Grimmjow snorted at the thought.

"You're so not my type, kid." He said tauntingly and saw the brat scowl. "Now go." He waited until Toshiro left his office before heading out for where he knew the fukutaichou would be at. To his surprise, it wasn't the usual guy. "Oh! You must be that Rangiku chick." He greeted her with less than stellar manners. She just gave him a weak smile, clearly worried about something. "You can go get your taichou some food, make it whatever he likes best." Grimmjow was not going to fetch it himself. For one thing, it was beneath him. More importantly, though, he'd probably bring back something the l'il guy hated. Her smile became a bit more real as she fished a box out from under her desk.

"It's right here Grimmjow-sama." She said and he blinked, taking the box and opening it. It was watermelon slices and a few boiled eggs. He nodded, closing it. He happened to know that Toshiro liked watermelon and the rest of it was probably for substance.

"Good. I'll make sure he eats it." He promised and Rangiku gave him another smile. He idly noticed that she was a gorgeous woman. Not that he'd do anything about it… Ichigo was his interest at the moment and besides, Gin would have his balls. The fox was pretty protective of his woman. Taking the meal to Toshiro's office he waited for the taichou to come back.

When he did, Grimmjow wasn't entirely pleased. He'd washed but he hadn't changes his clothes and his hair was still limp. Deciding to take what he could get, he shoved the box of food over to the taichou who looked at it with revulsion.

"Eat! Fucking shit, I am not your nanny." He snarled at that made Hitsugaya scowl at him, but he began to eat. A few bites seemed to rekindle his appetite and he devoured the food quickly. "Let your fukutaichou take care of you next time." He groused. Grimmjow was pretty sure Rangiku had been trying to feed him, but she couldn't make him, unlike an Espada. Hitsugaya sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Please, why are you here?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Same shit, different day. I thought I'd just stop in and see how you were holding up. If that's better I'll go." He'd just go back to his random duties of intimidating people and making sure this place was running okay. Sometimes, that meant intimidating some arrancar. The Numeros sometimes forgot that they weren't supposed to beat up shinigami for kicks, and the shinigami were forbidden to draw on the arrancar. That made the ass kicking contests pretty damned unequal. "Hate puppy kicking." He muttered to himself as he left the room. Beating up these ants wasn't any fun at all and he looked down on the Numeros for enjoying it. Strangely, he didn't look down on Lili for getting off on it. But then, she was the bad side of Starrk, how could she help it? Settling in against a wall nearby the practice ground he started to whistle as he looked over the shinigami, letting his senses range over them. As usual, he was disappointed. There were no up and coming Ichigo's in this group.

After killing enough time doing dick all… the Numeros had apparently detected his shitty mood… Grimmjow left the building. Instead of heading home, though, he went over to another Division. He wanted a few questions answered and he had a bag holding the item in question with him.

"Yo, you." He grabbed a shinigami by the shoulder, turning him around. He was a bit offended until he realized he was dealing with an Espada. Then he went pale. "Where's your taichou?" He figured the dude was probably in his office. Grimmjow had gotten to see what went on in Hitsugaya's office and there was a shitload of paperwork involved. The shinigami swallowed hard before trying to give him directions in a shaking voice. "Oi, that's too fucking hard. Just show me." He ordered and the shinigami nodded before taking point, the arrancar following close behind.

"Ukitake taichou, there's a visitor to see you." The shinigami said after knocking on the door, managing to keep his voice impressively even. There was a pause before a voice spoke from within.

"Show him in, please." The shinigami opened the door and bowed. Grimmjow was tempted to knee him in the nose, but firmly suppressed the urge. That would just be juvenile and he was supposed to be more mature than Lilinette. Stepping into the room he favored Ukitake Juushiro with a toothy grin. "How may I assist you, Grimmjow-sama?" The shinigami asked with a wan smile that looked and felt completely artificial. Grimmjow opened his bag and dumped the kido book in front of him, heedless of the paperwork. Juushiro had to rescue his bottle of ink before it could ruin everything.

"I want to know. Is this a good book for a novice to be learning from?" He asked and Juushiro looked slightly confused as he examined the book. Then he opened it and began flicking through the pages. Soon a small smile graced his lips and he shook his head.

"No. This was written by someone who knew kido, I'm sure, but they weren't properly trained and had a… very individual approach to the art." He tapped the pages. "Most people will never be able to make sense of this." Ukitake said and Grimmjow nodded. "It's fairly typical of the Rukongai. There are kido users there, but they are largely self-taught."

"What I figured. What's a good book to use?" He asked. Juushiro frowned slightly before responding.

"Grimmjow-sama… am I correct in assuming you wish to train Ichigo-kun in kido?" He asked carefully and Grimmjow shrugged before nodding. Not that he wanted to train the brat, exactly. He knew dick about that subject. But he'd give Ichigo the resources he needed to puzzle it out for himself. "I'm afraid I must strongly recommend against that."

"Eh? Why?" Grimmjow said, surprised. Why would Ukitake not want Ichigo to get stronger? The taichou sighed, crossing his hands over each other.

"Kurosaki-kun has vast reiryoku. Do you understand the different measurements of reiryoku?" He asked and Grimmjow shook his head. "There's average, which most shinigami are. There is high, which is most seated officers and fukutaichou. Then there's great, which is taichou-class. Last, there is immense, which could be considered the advanced taichou-class. However… there is also vast. That is approximately double the strength of a normal taichou. Soutaichou Yamamoto, Kurosaki Ichigo, Kenpachi Zaraki and Aizen Sosuke all possessed that level of reiryoku." He said and Grimmjow gave him a dubious look.

"That doesn't make any sense. Even before he absorbed the hogyoku, I couldn't stand up to Aizen. You're saying that Ichigo is that powerful? How'd I kick his ass when we first met?" He asked and Ukitake looked slightly depressed.

"You see, Grimmjow… can I call you that?" He asked and Grimmjow impatiently nodded his permission. He didn't like all that sama shit anyway. "The amount of reiryoku is simply a measure of potential. Learning how to release it properly is what makes the difference to the amount of force that can be applied. Kurosaki-kun is very young. He learned how to release his power in a hollow form and that increased his output, but he hasn't mastered the full measure of his reiatsu. If he had, Ulquiorra would not have defeated him."

"Huh." That was interesting but all it really told him was that he should make sure the Claim got refreshed frequently. Maybe once a month, if Kurosaki started to get good with kido. But… "So why don't you want me to let Ichigo learn kido?" That seemed really odd. If Ichigo might be able to break free of the claim… but the shinigami frowned.

"Teaching someone with vast reiryoku to handle kido is extremely difficult. So hard, in fact, that it's usually not attempted." He said and Grimmjow frowned. "No one ever suggested teaching Kenpachi kido. No one ever suggested it for Kurosaki-kun either, for the same reasons. And Yamamoto came into his strength slowly. He learned kido when he was young and his reiryoku was much lower."

"What about Aizen?" Grimmjow suddenly asked. "He'd pretty damned young, isn't he? How'd he learn kido?" Because Aizen was a god damned master at it. Juushiro looked surprised.

"I… don't know. Aizen isn't really that young." He said doubtfully and Grimmjow waited patiently. "I really don't remember ever seeing him take a kido class. That's… odd." Ukitake said before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know how Aizen learned kido. You would have to ask him."

"Argh." Asking Aizen for favors was a bit like sticking a paw into a bear's den. You might come back with your paw or without it, you never knew for sure. From the look on Juushiro's face he was aware of the dilemma he'd created. "Well, let's say I let him try to learn by himself. What could happen? He would blow up the house?" He meant it as a joke and Ukitake actually smiled, but only a little.

"No. The entire block." He said and Grimmjow gave him a sharp look before whistling. The shinigami was dead serious. "I highly recommend against it."

"Uh… right. Well, assuming I figure out how Aizen did it can you give me the names of some good books?" He asked and Juushiro looked like he wanted to refuse. But instead, he got out a piece of paper and wrote down several names. "Thanks. I promise I won't give them to him unless I get the answer out of Aizen. I like my house." He really did, it was nice. Ukitake smiled wanly and Grimmjow turned to leave. Then he thought of something. "Hey. What do you think of Lilinette?" He kind of owed this guy a favor. Maybe he'd pay it off right now. Juushiro looked a bit surprised at the change in subject.

"She's really a charming girl." He said cheerfully and Grimmjow bit back a groan. Charming? He had no fucking clue.

"Yeah, well, you've been a good sport about this so I guess I'll give you a friendly warning. Everyone thinks that Lili's Starrk's good side. She's not." Grimmjow said before planting a hand on the desk and leaning down, trying to emphasis how serious he was about this. The shinigami leaned back, disturbed. "She might be charming but snakes can be charming, too. She ain't a good girl. She's a _bad_ girl. Starrk's the _good_ half. Lilinette don't know the difference between petting a puppy and stepping on it." He straightened before giving the shinigami a toothy grin. "You remember that." It was a very important thing to remember about the Primera. Grimmjow left the room, closing the door behind him before he laughed.

Starrk understood right and wrong. Lilinette didn't have a fucking clue.


	5. Staking a Claim

Juushiro looked at his cooling tea, his eyes sad and his mind far away. Glancing out the window, he saw Lilinette playing with her best friend, a young girl with naturally high reiryoku. It was high enough to allow her to survive living around Starrk-sama. Not many people had the strength to endure his spiritual pressure for long, despite the changes Aizen had worked on him.

It had shocked him to find out that the Coyote had once been far stronger than he was now. So strong that his power had killed any adjuchas who had ventured near. Since most adjuchas were roughly equivalent to a seated officer, that was rather terrifying. But he wasn't concerned with Starrk so much as he was worried about Lilinette. When she'd first been given the other girl for a playmate, Starrk had very sternly warned her that if she harmed the girl she wouldn't be given a new friend. Juushiro had thought it was sweet at the time, that Starrk would concern himself with the girl's welfare.

Now he wondered if the Coyote had very good reason to be concerned about the frail shinigami girl. He felt deeply troubled as he watched Lilinette at play. She seemed so innocent. Could she really be Starrk's bad side? His… evil? Finally heaving a sigh, he stood and went to pay the Coyote a visit.

Starrk was in his usual spot, his rooms. There were brightly colored pillows scattered everywhere and he was nestled between several of them, his arms carelessly flung over brilliant fabric. The Primera was snoring, his head fallen back over a pillow. Juushiro sighed to himself. The force it took to wake Starrk was a bit daunting for a pet to contemplate.

He was Starrk's pet, along with Shunsui. The arrancar was bisexual, like most of his kind and often enjoyed them together. And to be perfectly honest, they were both becoming quite fond of him. He was very easygoing and didn't insist on taking the top, which was a bit shocking given his power level. Shunsui and Starrk got on very well, most of the time. The few times they didn't seemed to coincide with Aizen's purges.

Juushiro's eyes went dark as he thought about the atrocity in the square. It was only the latest in a long line of vile acts, but the others had been aimed at the shinigami. They had suffered several purges, as Aizen rooted out those who were still willing to stand against him. Sometimes, Juushiro was surprised that so many of his fellow taichou were still alive. But he understood why. If they were dead, they would become martyrs, figures looked upon with reverence and awe despite their failure. Alive, humiliated, they would eventually be treated with scorn and disregarded. Aizen was trying to destroy any faith the population had in them, reduce the shinigami and common folk to cattle so he could rebuild them in his own image.

Of course, there had been a reason for the square. The reason had been the attempted assassination of Tosen Kaname. It had come very close to succeeding and several arrancar had died. Tosen was still at the 4th, having his organs regenerated. All the perpetrators were dead, along with their families. The nightmare in the square had been a bit of extra punishment and a demonstration of their impotence. The arrancar surrounding the square could have made certain that no one survived, but they had let people on the edges flee. Juushiro was wearily certain that that had been on Aizen's orders. He wanted word to spread.

Pushing aside those thoughts, he gently shook Starrk's shoulder. There was no response, which was not at all surprising. Sighing softly, he did the only thing he could do and gave the Primera a swift kick in the stomach.

"Ow!" Starrk woke up with a yelp and Juushiro smiled to himself. It was rather humorous. "Ngh? Oh, it's you." He said with a yawn and Ukitake nodded before taking a seat on the cushions beside him. "Is it time for my patrol yet? No, it's too early." Starrk's main duty consisted of running a very wide, very thorough patrol every night. He was the fastest arrancar, with a sonido that was absolutely terrifying. He also had an incredibly wide range of reiatsu sensing.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you. And I know you won't have trouble getting back to sleep when we're done." He said with a humorous edge and Starrk smiled, amused. That was very true. "I wanted to ask you about Lilinette."

"Eh? What's she up to now?" Starrk squinted, glancing away and Juushiro could tell he was searching for his other half. He shook his head.

"Just playing in the gardens. I wanted to ask you a question about her." He said quietly and Starrk looked at him thoughtfully, waiting for him to go on. "Grimmjow spoke to me about her, earlier today. He said that she's your… bad side. I wanted to know if that's true." It still didn't make much sense to him. Lilinette seemed so innocent. Starrk arched his eyebrows in surprise.

"Grimmjow said that?" He asked as though making sure and Juushiro nodded. Then Starrk surprised him with a smile, followed by a slow, rumbling laugh. He'd rarely heard the Primera laugh before. "That's like… like the man blind in his left eye calling the man blind in his right eye half-blind!" Starrk said, highly amused and Juushiro blinked.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand?" He ventured and Starrk laughed again, leaning back on his pillows. Then the Primera smiled, trying to be semi-serious.

"Sorry. But coming from Grimmjow, that's hilarious. Mmm… he's partially right. Lilinette isn't bad or evil, however. She's simply hollow." He said and Juushiro nodded. That made more sense. "Have you ever wondered why hollows cannot be condemned to hell for their actions?"

"Hm?" Juushiro frowned. He actually had contemplated that before, particularly after the death of Shiba Kaien. "I've thought about it. My conclusion was that hollow hunger overwhelms everything and distorts any higher thought." He said and Starrk nodded.

"That is certainly true. But it is possible for a hollow to feed enough for the hunger to abate and some, like Szayel, feed in rather different ways. Try again." He said as Juushiro frowned, wondering how Szayel fed. Putting that aside for another time he gave Starrk's question more thought.

"Hollows only have approximations of human emotions. Until they're very advanced, they wouldn't possess the necessary mental equipment to form moral judgements." He said after a moment and Starrk nodded.

"That's very close. Of course, then you have arrancar and vasto lorde. Theoretically, we are capable of all the same emotions as shinigami. Why are we not responsible for our actions?" He asked and then answered himself. "Because we're Hollow. At least, most of us are… I managed to separate my hollowness into my Lilinette. She's very innocent, in a way. The pure, true state of a hollow." Starrk sounded slightly sad and Juushiro gave him a questioning look. The Coyote managed a smile but it was half-hearted at best. "I wonder, sometimes… am I truly responsible for my actions? Can I damn myself for the evil I do? I fear that I can… but not Lilinette. She has absolutely no concept of right and wrong. Most hollows don't, until they reach at least the adjuchas stage." Starrk scratched himself, then shrugged. "But Grimmjow is much the same. He thinks he isn't, but he is."

"Can you explain that?" Juushiro said softly and Starrk nodded before continuing.

"Grimmjow can see the difference between right and wrong and he thinks that makes him different from Lilinette but the truth is, it doesn't. He recognizes the difference but those differences have no meaning to him, so his choices are equally meaningless. Grimmjow would never do something just because it's right. He wouldn't even understand why he should." Starrk yawned, small fangs glinting in the sunlight. "And that's why almost all hollows cannot damn themselves, unless they were already damned in life. It would be like blaming a baby for biting. Mmm… you know, I think that's part of the reason why we followed Aizen so readily. He's fearless and it's inspiring, but there's something of the hollow in him too. He knows the differences between right and wrong but he feels that he's above them… that they're meaningless concepts that just hold people back." Starrk's monologue was almost mesmerizing and Juushiro stared at him, surprised to see this side of the usually quiet Primera. "I wonder sometimes… has Aizen damned himself? Or is he as flawed as we are, in some deep, fundamental way? Will the universe have mercy on him for the horror he creates? Does it even matter? He's immortal now… or so he says… but Barragan says that too…" Starrks' eyes sagged shut and Juushiro was almost glad as the arrancar started to snore.

"I can't imagine that the universe would ever have mercy on Aizen." He said quietly to the sleeping Espada. If Aizen somehow died and wasn't punished, Juushiro honestly thought he would lose faith in the cosmos. Of course, Aizen was unlikely to die so it might never come up. Sighing to himself, he stood and left the room. On the way he ran into Shunsui.

"Juushiro!" Shunsui's smile was only a shadow of what it should be and it hurt Juushiro's heart to see it. "Will our master require us this evening?" His old friend's voice seemed warm and cheerful but someone who had known him as long as Juushiro could detect the wormwood in that question. Shunsui's bitterness towards Starrk for defeating them was deep and abiding.

"I doubt it." Juushiro said calmly. "But we should probably join him for supper." Starrk ate supper with them, then often partook of their bodies before beginning his nightly patrol. Shunsui's eyes flashed for a moment before he smiled mockingly. Juushiro tried not to take this personally, but it was hard. He hated to see Shunsui like this.

"Of course! We wouldn't want to disappoint our master." He said and Juushiro sighed before making them both some tea. The familiar routine calmed his nerves.

"Shunsui, please. It isn't his fault." He said softly as he served the steaming hot beverage. He hated to see Shunsui like this, so bitter and angry behind his false surface of cheer. His old friend and lover looked away.

"I know but…" He said quietly and Juushiro nodded sadly before taking a sip of tea. He knew that Shunsui often wished he had died in the final battle and been spared seeing this. It didn't help that Nanao was enslaved to one of Barragan's fraccion. Her lot could have been worse – Yammy came to mind – but it wasn't good. Unfortunately, Starrk couldn't have claimed her even if he'd wanted to. His reiatsu would kill anyone with less than immense reiryoku.

"Did you know that Kurosaki-kun was trying to learn Kido? Grimmjow brought me his book." Juushiro said to take their minds off their troubles. Shunsui almost choked on his tea.

"No! I hope you discouraged that." He said and Juushiro smiled and nodded. "I shudder to think what horrors might befall us."

"Likely a large, expanding fireball." The white haired taichou said easily. "Fortunately, Grimmjow values his house. He said he won't let Ichigo have the correct books until he knows how Aizen learned kido." That made Shunsui look thoughtful for a moment before sipping his tea.

"You know, that's an excellent question. How did Aizen learn Kido? Not that I would dare ask. I salute the arrancar's courage if not his sanity." He said before lifting his tea in a toast. Juushiro laughed before following suit. "To Grimmjow! May he survive with his limbs and sanity intact. Well, what there is of it."

"Mmm." Juushiro just savored his tea for a moment, looking out at the gardens with a small smile. They were all living at his home. Starrk could have claimed the Kyoraku estates but his spiritual pressure was simply too much. Juushiro's house was smaller and he'd sent his family to live in one of the better sections of the Rukongai. It was actually safer than the Seireitei at the moment. If Starrk had claimed the Kyoraku estates there would have been too many people to relocate, and they would have had a huge difficulty finding enough servants to run things. Well, actually, Starrk would have had to recruit a group of arrancar for it. Likely enough he could have done that but Juushiro was just as glad not to have to have an arrancar cooking the food and doing the dishes. They sat for a moment in a companionable silence and Juushiro let his thoughts fall onto the past.

He and Shunsui had been lovers almost from their academy days. It was a closely held secret, and for good reason. Soul Society never moved with the times and it was, sadly, not kind to those who followed alternative lifestyles. As taichou they might have gotten away with it but the repercussions would have been unpleasant. It was easier just to hide.

Of course, now everyone knew they were having sex with a man. It was somewhat ironic. But given that all taichou-class survivors had to be claimed and the only female Espada was Halibel, they were hardly alone in that. Everyone assumed that he and Shunsui had been raped, which made the subject of the Claim taboo. It was almost funny since the truth had been very different. It had been rather easy for the two of them to welcome a third into their lovemaking. The Claim itself was a bit hard on Shunsui – he was accustomed to taking the top – but during normal sex, Starrk often allowed him to dominate. Watching Shunsui take their 'master' was possibly one of the sexiest things Juushiro had ever seen.

As if the thought had summoned him, Starrk appeared in the doorway, yawning and running a hand through his hair. Juushiro glanced outside, confirming that enough time had passed. It was close to supper. They only had one servant now, a retired fukutaichou who had accepted the post in return for Starrk's protection on her family. He'd given them all pendants of bone, with a wolf's head burned in. They were infused with his reiatsu and similar pendants had become the accepted sign that a plus soul or shinigami belonged to an Espada's household. Very few Numeros were willing to risk the ire of an Espada.

"Lilinette." Starrk muttered her name in a half-hearted way and Juushiro smiled to himself. The Primera was trying to summon his other half. "She doesn't want to come. Hmph… they can eat later. Always boiled eggs and ham…" The Primera slumped down on his cushion with another yawn. "Should we take supper here or?"

"Why not? The view is excellent." Shunsui said with good cheer. "Will you want a bit of fun before you depart?" Juushiro winced to himself. The bitterness was definitely still there, although well concealed. Starrk just shook his head.

"No. Too tired." He said, glassy eyed. Juushiro frowned slightly as he sipped his tea. This was a bit extreme, even for Starrk. "Oh, you probably don't know. Lilinette woke me up three times today, being a brat. I need a new lock on my door. I think I'll go visit Szayel and see what he can come up with." He yawned widely, showing his fangs and Juushiro winced. He suddenly felt bad for disturbing the Primera although he couldn't have known.

"I'll help bring out supper then." Shunsui volunteered before getting up and leaving the room. The retired fukutaichou in question had left the forces after she'd lost an arm. She was still a very good cook and could easily handle the minimal housework, particularly with Lilinette and her playmate to help, but carrying in heavy dishes could be challenging. Shunsui came back quickly, carrying a steaming pot of something delicious. Behind him, the fukutaichou was carrying a tray of glasses, utensils and a pitcher of water. She knelt down beside Starrk who easily took his cue and began taking everything off the tray for her.

"Thank you very much Mia." He said graciously and she smiled at him with a small nod. To all appearances it was a genuine smile, but then, she and her family were doing rather well. Juushiro only wished the rest of the Seireitei could say the same. "Ah, venison stew." Starrk was very pleased and Juushiro smiled as he ladled out the food, serving the two of them before serving himself. Starrk had caught the deer on his last patrol and brought it home with him at the end of his shift. They were in the middle of eating when Lilinette and her friend ran in.

"Can we have some Starrk-sama? We're hungry!" The young girl begged and Starrk smiled at her. Her name was Kinomi and she was younger than Lilinette. Which was fair enough, since the arrancar girl would never age a day.

"Of course." He said easily before giving them both generous servings. Mia had brought extra bowls, just in case. There was no room at the table but the two girls preferred to eat outside anyway. They ran off, giggling and Starrk smiled as he watched them go.

They ate in silence for a while. Starrk savored every bite of his food and sighed softly as he reached the bottom of the bowl, his spoon scraping against the pottery.

"Mmm, delicious. Well, I should be going. Soonest started is soonest done." He said with a yawn before standing and cracking his neck. "Sleep well." Shunsui nodded as Juushiro gave their 'master' a smile.

"Good luck." He wished the arrancar, and meant it. Starrk was the best out of all of them and he was glad to have him as a master.

He only wished all of the Seireitei was as fortunate.

* * *

The next day, something bad happened.

Juushiro knew that something was off as soon as Starrk got home from his patrol. The Coyote looked extremely unhappy and Mia actually cowered from him as he went past her to their breakfast nook. Fortunately, he ignored her, but Juushiro knew that was actually an effort for him. Hollows could sense fear and Starrk had admitted once that his instincts still reacted strongly to it.

Starrk came to a stop in front of them and Juushiro stared up at him, wondering what the wild and almost angry look in those grey eyes meant. The question was solved a moment later as he spoke.

"My chambers, now." He ordered and it was Claim enforced. Juushiro automatically moved to his feet and saw Shunsui doing the same. His friend and lover tried to protest.

"We have our duties – " He started but Starrk shot him a sharp look and he closed his mouth with a click.

"They can wait." Was all he said and Juushiro felt a tightness in his gut. This wasn't right. Starrk didn't get demanding, not like this. What was wrong? But they both followed him, powerless to do anything else. His stomach clenched harder as he stepped into the room and Starrk began to immediately disrobe.

_He's going to refresh the Claims. But why?_ This stank of territorial behavior, and even moreso when Shunsui was the first bent over the bed. Juushiro swallowed as he saw the grimace on his lover's face. Starrk impatiently freed Shunsui's hair from its tie, letting it fall over his face. Starrk preferred not to see their expressions during the Claim, the one time he had to completely dominate them.

"Starrk, why are you doing this?" Shunsui asked, his voice strained as Starrk began to prepare him. "Our Claims are still strong." It had only been four months since the last time and the Coyote's Claim could last as long as a year. He was more powerful than either of them. That tiny bit of insubordination earned Shunsui a nip. A tiny bit of blood stained warm skin.

"I'll explain after." Starrk said, his voice dark and his reiatsu singing of lust and emotional upset. Juushiro slipped closer and glanced as Starrk. Receiving a small nod, he nuzzled Shunsui before kissing him just as Starrk went inside. The Espada often let them ease the experience for each other.

The Claim was quick. The Coyote wasted no time, gripping Shunsui's hips and thrusting in and out in a harsh, fast rhythm. Juushiro gently petted that chestnut hair, lending his lover what comfort he could as his body was assaulted with insane, unwanted pleasure. Shunsui always hated the claim, hated the complete loss of control, but it was more than that. Submitting his reiatsu to Starrk's didn't come easily to him but if he fought it…

He was fighting it now. Juushiro could see the strain on his face and Starrk growled in irritation. More power poured into Shunsui and he gasped, jerking in pleasure but his face was full of emotional pain. Juushiro whispered to him.

"Stop it Shunsui. You're making it worse." He said before gently stroking his face. "It hurts me to see you like this." He so hated to see his best friend and lover suffering. Shunsui opened his eyes. They were glazed and unseeing, but he managed to nod before lowering his head. With the next thrust his reiatsu submitted and Starrk was finally able to properly make the Claim. It would eventually have happened anyway, but Shunsui's submission made it faster. Soon Starrk grunted and bit the taichou's neck, making him arch with a cry as he came. The flow of reiatsu was blindingly powerful and Juushiro blinked for a moment. The two men lay tangled for a moment, gasping and trembling with the aftershocks. Then Starrk slowly freed himself, sitting back on his knees.

"Now for you." He said, his voice tired but his eyes fierce and determined. Juushiro stared at him, completely shocked. When Starrk refreshed the claim he usually did them one at a time, with a week between. Refreshing a Claim was a wonderful but draining experience, particularly when the people involved were at all close in reiatsu levels. He and Shunsui were close enough to Starrk to require a great deal of reiatsu for the Claim.

"Why…?" He started to ask but the small growl from the Primera recalled him to his senses. He lowered his head submissively before taking the required position, on his hands and knees. They often made love face to face, but never during the Claim. Juushiro assumed it was a hollow thing. Warm, callused fingers began exploring him, penetrating him carefully. Cold lubricant quickly began to warm as those fingers stretched him out.

Starrk made certain he was properly prepared before mounting him. Juushiro groaned softly as the Espada sank into him, then gasped as the power flowed through him. He wasn't like Shunsui. He liked this, enjoyed it deeply. Submitting to someone else had never been a problem for him, unlike his lover. Giving up control to Starrk was the easiest thing in the world and he did so gladly, letting the arrancar's reiatsu fill him.

Wanton moans and heated gasps filled the air. The only blot on his pleasure was the feelings he could sense from Shunsui, the anger and near jealousy. Shunsui didn't begrudge him his pleasure but watching Starrk claim him always made him feel… second best. They had discussed it before and Juushiro had done his best to reassure his lover but it didn't always help.

Today seemed to be one of those times. Starrk's fangs finally tore into his throat and Juushiro experienced that moment of intense, glorious pleasure before almost passing out. He collapsed onto the bed, gasping, his body covered in sweat and trembling. Starrk separated from him with a groan of effort, just barely managing to roll onto his side. Juushiro glanced at the arrancar, seeing the utter exhaustion on his face. But Shunsui didn't give either of them time to recuperate.

"Now what in hell was this about?" He asked, his voice rough with anger. Starrk closed his eyes for a moment and Juushiro was afraid he'd fallen asleep. But then grey eyes opened again, anguished and weary. Starrk propped himself up on one elbow before speaking.

"That little taichou, the one Halibel Claimed." He said quietly. "He died last night." Juushiro went stiff with shock as Shunsui stared, looking like he was hoping he had misheard.

"How?" Shunsui said, his voice soft and shocked. "Was it an arrancar…?" Although that didn't make much sense. Halibel had a reputation as being dangerous to men but she'd actually shown some caring towards Hitsugaya. And who else would dare assault the pet of an Espada? Starrk shook his head.

"No. He killed himself." Starrk took a deep breath as they both absorbed that statement. Juushiro swallowed, feeling ill. "That leaves Halibel without a pet and I have the two of you. You're both quite powerful… I think Aizen will try to get me to relinquish one of you to her. And while that wouldn't matter much if it were just me, your relationship…" Starrk let his statement trail off and they could both easily fill it in. No longer living together, at the beck and call of different Espada, it was unlikely they would be able to continue even a clandestine relationship. "It will be harder for Aizen to take one of you from me if my Claim is newly refreshed." He finished softly and Shunsui reached out to clasp his shoulder.

"That is a good reason. I'm sorry for doubting you." He said and the sincerity of his voice made Juushiro smile. He really did like Starrk and things were better when he and Shunsui were getting along. The arrancar sniffed then suddenly hugged the taichou, pressing his face against Shunsui's chest.

"Please… I won't use the Claim, I won't order you, but please. As long as there's any hope, as long as I'm still here, please don't leave me." He said, his voice muffled against Shunsui's chest. Juushiro rubbed a hand along Starrk's back, comforting him as his friend and lover hugged the Espada. "Don't leave me."

"We won't leave you." Juushiro promised and meant it. Hitsugaya had been pushed too far, but he was young and hadn't seen the horrors of the world. Juushiro and Shunsui were older. It wasn't something they'd discussed, but they had both seen purges in the Rukongai and some very ugly wars. Death, even the death of innocents, was no stranger them.

"But we do have to go to work." Shunsui said, his voice regretful but firm. Juushiro blinked then blushed as he realized they were already quite late. Starrk laughed softly before letting go and flopping back onto the bed.

"And I need to sleep. Have to get my energy back… Aizen…" He mumbled before his eyes sagged shut and Juushiro's stomach clenched as he thought about Aizen. If Kami ordered Starrk to give up a pet and he refused, what would Aizen do? He traded a glance with Shunsui and knew he was thinking the same thing. Hopefully the Coyote would regain his strength quickly.

He would need it.


	6. Desperate Measures

Ichigo watched Grimmjow eating supper as he tried to think how to ask the question.

"For fuck's sake, spit it out. I can feel your eyes boring holes into me." Grimmjow suddenly growled and Ichigo blushed. Was he really that obvious?

"I met my sister's in the Rukongai today." He said and Grimmjow actually looked up from his food, interested. "I thought their souls had been destroyed by Aizen but they're here. Please Grimm, can they stay with us?" He asked, his heart in his mouth. If the Espada said no –

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo blinked in shock at that easy answer. Grimmjow flashed him a grin, clearly catching the emotion. "One of them has to cook better than you, shinigami."

"What! I'd like to see you cook, you bastard." He retorted without thinking and Grimmjow laughed, rising from his seat. Ichigo swallowed as the arrancar advanced on him, lust in his eyes. He tried to evade the Espada but Grimmjow caught him easily, pinning him against the wall in a very familiar position. Ichigo grit his teeth as a big hand massaged him through his hakama. Why did it always have to feel so good?

"You sure you want to see that, Kurosaki? I might use you for an ingredient." Grimmjow said, his breath hot against Ichigo's cheek. He could feel the heat of the man's body against his back, the pressure of that heavy body against him. Memories of all the times he'd been taken against this wall piled up too, amounting to an immensely carnal sensation.

"You're not cooking with my jizz." He muttered through the lust that was fogging his brain. Grimmjow's sudden laugh surprised him and then he was being turned around, pulled into a surprisingly gentle kiss.

"You just made my fucking day shinigami. Come on, I think you deserve a good fuck." Grimmjow purred in his ear and Ichigo swallowed at the promise in that rough voice. Right now, though, he didn't really mind satisfying Grimmjow's lusts. As soon as they were done, he'd find Karin and Yuzu and bring them home.

That was worth anything to him.

* * *

"So that's the guy you're living with, Ichi-nii?" Karin said after Grimmjow left for work. Ichigo nodded, doing the dishes as Yuzu began to straighten the living room. She'd been appalled at the state of the place, proclaiming that they were clearly both men. Grimmjow had been amused by that and had agreed that he was definitely a man. "You said you're living on his charity but he doesn't seem like a charitable guy." She gave her brother a hard look but he just shrugged, concentrating on the dishes.

"He's not. But don't worry about him, he won't hurt you." He said honestly. Ichigo would believe that Grimmjow was guilty of many horrible deed and atrocities, but pedophilia was not among them. And Karin and Yuzu were still children, although Yuzu was beginning to blossom, just a little. "Just don't go out of your way to piss him off." He cautioned. Grimmjow did have a temper and so did Karin. It was possible that sparks would fly, especially when she knew what they were doing together. She was staring at him suspiciously when Yuzu called from the living room.

"Karin-chan! Can you get me the window cleaner?" She asked and Karin scowled before fetching the bottle. Ichigo was grateful to have her attention off him for a moment. "Thank you! Oh Ichi-nii, this is a beautiful little house!" She almost cooed and Ichigo mustered up a smile.

"It's okay." It certainly could have been worse. He glanced around, really seeing the place for the first time in a long time. It was a two story home with an unfinished basement. Well, technically it was a root cellar. The main floor consisted of the living room, dining room and master bedroom with en suite bathroom and walk in closet. The upstairs was three bedrooms and a rec room, clearly meant for children. They'd never gotten around to redecorating it. It seemed odd to Ichigo, having the master bedroom on a different floor from the other bedrooms but it must have worked for whoever designed this place.

"Compared to where we were before, it's paradise." Karin grunted and Ichigo nodded. That was certainly true. "You seem awfully quiet Ichi-nii." Karin said and he sighed to himself. He'd never been a chatterbox like Keigo but she was right, he was different now. How could he not be? He'd been enslaved and raped constantly for over a year. The fact that he got pleasure from it didn't make it consensual. But he couldn't say that to them.

"It's nothing to worry about. Why don't I show you the garden?" He said as cheerfully as he could. "It's pretty nice, I take care of it." Grimmjow couldn't be bothered. He also claimed to have a brown thumb, that everything he touched dropped dead. Ichigo believed it.

"Oh, I want to see!" Yuzu almost bounced and Karin let go of her suspicions as Ichigo showed them the outside. With plenty of time on his hands and Grimmjow's credit, he'd managed to plant something nice. Right now the bell flowers were blooming and the blue reminded him of Grimmjow's eyes. Looking away, he fixed his attention on the tiger lilies instead. The bell flowers were trying to crowd them out and for one strange, irrational moment he thought they represented himself, caught up in the chains of Grimmjow's reiatsu. Then he forced a smile as Karin and Yuzu tried to puzzle out the little windmill game. It was actually a kind of fountain and when you poured water into the top it made all the windmills spin. He demonstrated and they both enjoyed the sight of it spinning away, flicking water over the garden. Ichigo basked in their pleasure, trying to enjoy the moment.

The moment was all he had.

* * *

"Yo, brat! What are you… up… to…" Grimmjow burst into the room with his usual lack of any care. That quickly turned into a lot of care, though, as he saw who was sitting in Toshiro's desk. "Uh… what the fuck?" He said as he stared at silvery hair and a foxy, slightly creepy smile.

"Grimmjow-kun! Glad to see you showing up ta work!" Gin said cheerfully, sitting back in his chair and setting his feet on the desk. "Now that you're here we can get started!"

"We?" He said blankly before seeing Rangiku. She was sitting in a chair beside Gin, looking like complete shit and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Kind of reminded him of Orihime, a few times when Ulquiorra had made her cry. "The fuck's going on? Where's the little guy?" He said, still trying to process this. Rangiku made a quiet sob as Gin's smile widened.

"Dead. Stabbed himself in th' heart last night." He said cheerfully and Grimmjow had to grip the edge of the desk.

"I just spoke to him yesterday." He whispered, feeling honestly shocked. Hollows didn't commit suicide. The survival instinct was just too strong and hollows were all about instincts. So this was almost incomprehensible and utterly shocking. "He looked bad but… holy shit." Grimmjow vaguely wondered if there was something he could have done differently. But he'd gotten the little guy to shower and eat. What more could he have done? He was a fucking Espada, not a therapist. "…What now?" He asked and Gin tilted his head to one side.

"Well, tha's th' thing. We really don't have enough taichou and Rangiku-chan ain't really up to the job. No bankai and not much good at paperwork." He said and Grimmjow glanced at the girl. She nodded slightly, seeming to take no offense at Gin's words. "But she could train somebody. So, we were thinkin' that you an' your pet could take care o' this. What d'you say?"

"What?" Grimmjow processed that before feeling a moment of horror. "No! He doesn't need that." He snarled, forgetting himself slightly. Then Gin's grin reminded him.

"He doesn't need that? Ya sure? I bet the creepy kid'd love t' get out o' the house!" Gin teased and Grimmjow grit his teeth. "Or are you maybe tryin' t' hide somethin' from him? Hmm?" Blue eyes opened just a sliver and Grimmjow growled in frustration.

"Yeah! I am! And you know why?!" He slammed a hand flat on the desk, glaring into those eyes as Gin opened them completely, blue meeting blue. "This is why! Fucking shit he's just a fucking kid, he can't handle Aizen's shit! You want another fucking suicide? Let him see what's really happening in this shithole!" Grimmjow knew he was going off, ranting, but couldn't stop himself. He didn't even want to. "Let him have to purge his own Division! Let him have to help put down fucking riots! Let him – "

"Enough, Sexta." Gin's voice held a note of steely threat and Grimmjow shut his mouth, glowering. Gin met his glare for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning back with another of those unnerving smiles. "Ya know, I think I agree with ya."

"Huh?" Grimmjow said before eyeing him warily. That easy capitulation worried him. Gin shrugged, steepling his hands in front of himself.

"I think you're right about Kurosaki-kun. He'd strong but even the strongest of us have our limits, and he's a lot younger'n Toshiro was. If Shiro-chan couldn't take it, will Ichigo be able to? Probably not." Gin sounded regretful at his own conclusion. "But ya know, you could just order him not to off himself. That'd take care of the problem." He said in a cheerful tone and Grimmjow scowled.

"No, it wouldn't He'd just be a fucking shell if I did that." He snapped. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was certain that if he took even that choice away from Ichigo he would break. So much of his life was already outside his control. That couldn't include his death, too. "He won't be any fucking use if he doesn't care." If that happened… if that happened, Grimmjow might get rid of Ichigo himself. Hell, it might be a mercy killing at that point.

"Yer makin' things awfully difficult. We don' have taichou-class reiatsu jus' lyin' around, ya know." Gin said and Grimmjow grunted. "An' we've lost a lot of people. Hisagi, Kira, Iba… all dead." If the death of his own former fukutaichou bothered him, he didn't show it. Rangiku looked away, her pretty face sad.

"What about the guy with the tats? Can't you steal him off Szayel?" He asked and Gin pursed his lips, considering it. "I mean, what is Szayel using him for anyway? Experiments?" If so, the shinigami would probably be glad to get out of there. No one wanted to hang around Szayel for too long. It didn't help that he could feed on emotions, including pain.

"Well, maybe we can do that." Gin allowed and Grimmjow had a feeling this was where he'd been going all along. Why they'd started off with Ichigo, he had no fucking clue. "I'll talk to Aizen 'bout it. He wanted Ichigo in here – " Ah, that was why. "I tol' him I didn' think you'd agree but he said it'd be perfect. I think maybe he wants Kurosaki-kun to give up, yah?" Gin said cheerfully and Grimmjow grated his teeth together so forcefully that it was almost audible. "A perfect symbol of despair. But maybe he can give up on that. I'll see what I can do, yah?" He smiled and Grimmjow understood perfectly what was expected of him.

"I'll owe you one." He said grudgingly. He didn't like owing Gin a favor but he needed to keep Kurosaki in the house. Seeing all this shit would break him to pieces, the Espada was sure of it. And if he had to participate – had to sentence his own people to death – Grimmjow didn't even want to think about it. Gin's smile widened into a mocking grin.

"Glad you understand me Grimmjow-kun! Well, I'll go talk Aizen around." He said cheerfully before standing. Grimmjow stepped to the side, letting him pass. Rangiku went to the desk, looking at the paperwork hopelessly and Grimmjow hesitated before clearing his throat.

"Hey. I'm sorry about the little guy." He said quietly as she glanced at him. Rangiku gave him a half-hearted smile before taking a seat.

"Thank you, Grimmjow-sama. Toshiro said you… you weren't that bad to us." She said, which was faint praise but probably pretty accurate. Not that he was being kind, he just didn't want to waste his time beating up weaklings. Grimmjow nodded before showing himself out, going on his usual rounds. Everything was subdued. Even the shinigami sparring in the practice yard didn't really have their heart into it. Normally he would have jeered at them for not even trying but today his heart wasn't in it either.

Seemed the mood was infectious.

* * *

Mia looked at the arrancar child in her charge with a frown.

She knew Lilinette wasn't a real child. She'd overheard some of Starrk's discussion with Juushiro, too, so she knew Lilinette was dangerous. But she had very little power. Even retired and missing one arm, Mia could probably handle a cero from her. So she wasn't particularly worried about her own safety.

What worried her at the moment was Lilinette's health. The child was acting like she was sick. Mia was fairly sure hollows didn't get sick. That made this more alarming to her, not less. Lilinette was shaking her head and rubbing her arms as if she was cold.

"Lilinette-chan? Are you okay?" Kinomi asked, reaching out towards her. Lilinette hissed and pulled away quickly.

"Don't touch me! I'm so hungry." She moaned and Mia froze before grabbing Kinomi's shoulders and pulling her away. The girl looked at her questioningly but she just stared at the arrancar. Lilinette's hunger wasn't for food, she was sure. "Starrk's hurting bad… he's hurting so bad… oh, I need to eat something, we need to eat something…" She moaned, rocking back and forth. Mia swallowed hard before whispering in Kinomi's ear.

"Go home sweetie." Kinomi was her niece and lived with her family now. The little girl nodded, slightly frightened by this strange behavior and darted away. Mia knelt down near Lilinette, being careful not to touch her. "How is Starrk hurting Lili? What's happening to him?" She asked, fear nibbling at her mind. Starrk was her families' shield against all harm. If something happened to him… Lilinette looked at her, desperation in her pink eye.

"Aizen. Aizen's hurting him… Starrk, take me, do something damn it…" She growled at her other half then sobbed. "Stop being stupid! Oh ow this hurts…" She rested her face in her arms and Mia bit her lip. "G-Go to Shiro-chan and Kimono-chan… dunno what they can do though… they can't stop kami… ow…" Mia decided that was as good an idea as any. Lilinette didn't even seem capable of walking and with Kinomi gone there was no one she could eat.

"I'll do what I can." She reassured the small arrancar who just curled up harder. Then she left the house, quickly engaging flash step.

She wasn't as fast as she'd once been, but she quickly made her way to Juushiro's Division. However, when Mia arrived she found she was already too late.

"Ukitake taichou is in a meeting and cannot be disturbed." The young man at the desk said, his face a mask of iron. Mia tried to convince him, though.

"I'm sorry, but I'm his housekeeper. Lilinette is acting most strangely and she says there's a problem with Starrk-sama. Please, can I speak to him?" She said and the young man looked at her for a moment. Then he shook his head.

"There is no need. Aizen-kami sent him a message about Starrk-sama." From the grim look on his face, the young shinigami knew the contents of it. But he was not going to tell her. "Please return to Lilinette-sama. We will address the problem." Normally the honorific of sama, applied to Lilinette, would have made her smile. But not right now.

"Oh gods." She whispered, wondering what this meeting entailed. If Lilinette's reaction was anything to go by, Starrk needed to feed. And hollows fed on souls.

It made her very, very glad that she was retired.

* * *

Juushiro looked at his seated officers and fukutaichou with a heavy heart. They looked back at him with dread. They all knew about Aizen's message. They didn't know the content of it, though.

"I'm sorry. Aizen-kami just sent me a message that Starrk-sama is severely wounded and requires the energy of a soul." He said softly and the dread became more pronounced. "Someone of seated officer strength or above. I'm… sorry. Are there any volunteers?" He wasn't sure if he hoped for that or not. The silence in the room was heavy, painful. Then one brave young man stepped forward.

"I volunteer Ukitake taichou." He said firmly and Juushiro felt a deep pain in his chest. There was a tickle in his throat that signified trouble but he suppressed it ruthlessly. This was no time for one of his attacks. All the stress was definitely getting to him. Then another person, a young woman this time, stepped forward.

"I volunteer as well. We can flip for it, Lido." She said with a smile. There was no humor, though, as she pulled out a coin. "The person who wins goes. Tails." She said before flipping the coin. It danced through the air, shining like molten silver. It landed head up. "…Sorry." She said but her friend and fellow seated officer just shrugged.

"I volunteered first anyway. I'm ready, Ukitake taichou." He said, his shoulders held firm and erect. Juushiro wanted to weep and he wondered how Shunsui was holding up. A single seated officer likely wouldn't be enough for Starrk. No, he would need two and Aizen would delight in making them supply them. Particularly since they were partly the cause of this. Juushiro bowed to the young man, trying to think of what he could have done to make this come out differently. But the answer seemed to be nothing.

Nothing.

* * *

Starrk snarled softly as the door to his cell opened.

To say he was in pain would be a gross understatement. His body was covered in lacerations. His shoulders were both dislocated, which made his current position more than merely uncomfortable. There was also a painful drag in his rear, from the forceful rape he'd endured earlier. That actually bothered him the least. He was still a hollow and as the pack leader, Aizen-kami had every right to take pleasure from his body. That was a very minor injury compared to the rest of it, the sort of thing hollows did to each other all the time. The other injuries were what was taxing his strength and driving his ravenous hunger.

Blinking dried blood out of his eyes, Starrk frowned as he saw two shinigami in front of him. To his disgust, he recognized their insignia's.

"Oh, how lovely." His voice was a weak rasp. "Tell me, did you volunteer or did he make them chose?" Starrk knew damned well who was behind this. Aizen could have sent an arrancar to Hueco Mundo to catch a few adjuchas if he just wanted to feed his Espada. Or he could have fed him some underperforming Numeros. But instead, he was looking at a shinigami from the 8th Division and another from the 13th.

"I volunteered to feed you, Starrk-sama." The male of the pair, from the 13th, stated with a small bow. The female of the pair also bowed, managing to keep her voice steady as she spoke.

"We drew lots, Starrk-sama." She said, which honestly didn't surprise him too much. It sounded like the way Shunsui would deal with this sort of thing.

"Damn." Starrk said mildly, trying to think of a way out of this situation. Aizen was trying to make his pets hate him. It wouldn't work on Juushiro but it likely would work on Shunsui. Aizen was clearly hoping to poison things enough that the Primera would relinquish one of his pets. But Shunsui was a very bad choice to send to Halibel. He would not be treated well there, by the Tercero and her fraccion. From what he'd heard, the fraccion had tormented Toshiro a bit. It would be much, much worse with a dominant, very masculine sort of man. Starrk truly cared for Shunsui although the reason for his feelings made him squirm a little. He knew that the taichou had no idea what he'd done, but it didn't change the fact that Shunsui had been the first to suggest the mate position, then take him from it. "I don't suppose either of you can break this chain?" If he couldn't get out of the room he was going to eat them sooner or later.

"Er… No, Starrk-sama. It appears to be infused with Aizen-kami's reiatsu." The male of the pair reported and Starrk sighed. He couldn't refuse to feed from them, not for long anyway. Even now his instincts were singing that there was a strong food source right in front of him. He was holding it back but eventually his dreadful aura would break free and destroy them.

"I can only refuse to devour you for so long. These injuries make sure of that." Starrk growled, still trying to think of a way out of this. Only one idea occurred to him and it wasn't good. The male of the pair chuckled and he and the woman both stared at him.

"Just thinking that I would prefer not to wait, Starrk-sama." He said and an unwilling smile crossed the Primera's face. Starrk thought for a moment, then sighed.

"Poor Lilinette. I promised her I wouldn't do this anymore." He said sadly. There was only one way he could avoid feeding. "And I do wonder how much Aizen truly values me?" That was a very interesting question. How would he react to this little ploy? Kami might just wound and starve him again. Or he might resort to something more extreme. His actions would be clear defiance. "Oh well." He refused to injure his mates further. And that was how Starrk felt about them, although he wouldn't admit it. He had enough vulnerabilities already, with Lilinette. Concentrating hard, he turned his attention inward. This was something Aizen wouldn't know about because no hollow would ever do it voluntarily. But Starrk was not a typical hollow and he'd done it many, many times. Finding an appropriate portion of himself he _reached._

Then the world dissolved in pain.

* * *

Lilinette's shriek nearly ruptured Mia's eardrums.

She had been keeping the child arrancar with her in the kitchen as she did the dishes. It was not beyond possibility that Lilinette would decide to leave and go look for food. She wasn't strong and she could easily get hurt, but she might still try.

Then she screamed and Mia dropped a dish. It landed on the floor, shattering into a million shards but the retired fukutaichou couldn't care less. The little arrancar was convulsing, her ear splitting shrieks filling the air. Heedless of the danger, Mia tried to restrain her. Lilinette was thrashing so much she might even injure herself.

Finally, though, the convulsions stopped. Lilinette was stiff for a moment before relaxing, panting and blinking her single eye. Then she wiggled and Mia let go, watching her with concern.

"Starrrrk! You BASTARD! You promised me you wouldn't do that anymore!" Lilinette complained and Mia frowned. What was the little girl going on about? Lilinette scowled, sitting up with her hands between her legs. She saw Mia's confused expression and tried to explain. "He ate a piece of himself. I hate that!"

"He… what?" Mia said, bewildered. She'd never heard of such a thing. Lilinette groaned, rubbing her forehead for a moment.

"Once, me and Starrk were one hollow. You know that right?" She asked and Mia nodded. She had heard of that. "We killed any other hollow that got too close. It was so lonely… we split in two to try an' get weaker. It didn't work but at least we had each other. But Starrk was still lonely… he was the stronger one so he tried eating himself." Tears filled her eye and she dashed them away angrily. "It hurt! It's… normal hollows only eat themselves when they're dyin'. It makes them regress. No normal hollow wants to regress but Starrk wanted it if it would just stop us from bein' alone. I couldn't take it anymore, I begged him to stop and he never did it again. But now he is. Stupid Starrk…" She looked down, depressed. "Maybe he was just too hungry."

"Maybe." Mia had a good idea that something else had happened, though. Had Starrk refused to feed and done this instead? She gently patted the little arrancar on the head. "Why don't we get supper ready for him? Maybe Aizen will let him come home soon." She hoped so at least.

Starrk was a kindly master. Mia hoped he would be home soon.


	7. Make the Wolf Howl

Ichigo groaned, feeling sweat breaking out all over his body. He rested his hands on Grimmjow's knees, bracing himself as the Espada thrust into him, gripping his hips to deepen the penetration.

"How does that feel, Ichigo?" That sinful voice said and Ichigo shuddered, nails digging into that hierro hardened skin. "You like my big cock, don't you?"

"Don't… f-flatter yourself…" He gasped out just before a big hand encircled his cock and began to jerk him off. "Unh!" He couldn't hold back that small sound as things began to get more intense. Grimmjow was right. Ichigo did like his big cock, or his body did at least. His own erection was throbbing with the beat of his heart, surging with every rough stroke of that hot length inside him.

Grimmjow might be constrained by hollow customs, but they still had more positions than just one. Right now, the Espada was sitting in the bed, his back propped against the headboard. Ichigo was in his lap, facing away, his legs spread wide as he rode the arrancar's cock. The angle was so good it almost hurt. Ichigo gasped again, bowing his head as a heavy thumb tormented his slit. Why did Grimmjow have to be so good at this?

"You know you love it. Why do you fight it, shinigami? Why do you hold back?" Grimmjow asked, his voice like dark velvet. Ichigo moaned then bit his lip as that tone seemed to go straight to his already straining erection. "You love it when I talk dirty to you. You know what I want? I want to see you spray your juice all over the fucking sheets." Grimmjow said and Ichigo chewed his lip, his eyes half-closed as he held back another shameful moan. "I'm gonna ride you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week."

"G-Grimm… fuck…" Ichigo cursed as the Espada continued relentlessly tormenting his insides. The pressure was mounting, he knew he couldn't hold back much longer. The harsh chuckle from behind him said that Grimmjow knew it, too.

"What was that? Did you say harder, faster?" Grimmjow asked before gripping his hips and speeding his already breakneck thrusts. Ichigo's hands clenched into the blankets, gasping and shaking as his orgasm came on quickly. "Yeah, that's it. Cream up those bedsheets." Grimmjow purred and Ichigo couldn't hold back his cry as he went over the edge.

The orgasm was intense. His toes curled as his battered body let out streams and streams of cum as Grimmjow laughed. That wicked laughter was still ringing in his ears as the arrancar emptied himself into him, fingers digging painful welts into his hips. Ichigo gasped, spent and exhausted. Warm hands ran across his back and Ichigo looked over his shoulder, tired brown eyes meeting sated blue.

"I love your back. You got some nice muscles here, shinigami." Grimmjow said and Ichigo flushed, looking away. Being praised for his looks by Grimmjow… it just seemed wrong, somehow. "Too many people forget about the back but you got it right."

"I had good teachers." He said bitterly. Was Kisuke still alive? Ichigo doubted it. Grimmjow chuckled and caught his chin, pulling him in for a kiss. Ichigo accepted the intimacy, feeling the slight scrape of bone against his cheek.

"You still do. I'll help you out anytime." Ichigo snorted at that but Grimmjow just grinned. "Oh, you don't think you have anything to learn?"

"From you? Not hardly." The taunting might not be smart but Ichigo couldn't resist. Grimmjow's grin just widened until it rivalled a sharks.

"Ya think so? Well, why don't you prove that to me?" The Espada said as he untangled their bodies. Ichigo lay on the bed for a moment then groaned as Grimmjow fondled his ass. "Unless I rode you too hard."

"You only wish." He snarled and with more bravado than sense, Ichigo pushed himself up. "But I need to clean myself off." He added as he felt a line of cum run down his leg. Grimmjow nodded.

"I'll help you." Warm lust filled that rough voice and Ichigo very much doubted they would make it to the practice ground. If Grimmjow fucked him in the shower he'd be so tired he could hardly see straight, let alone fight. Then there was a knock on the door and they both froze.

"Ichi-nii? Grimmjow-kun? I made us lunch!" Ichigo blushed violently at Yuzu's chipper voice and Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, grumbling something. This was his day off from 'work' and he'd been taking advantage of it for midday sex. For a moment, Ichigo violently wished they had a bedroom farther from the living room. There was no way his sisters were going to stay ignorant of their… activities.

_I can tell them we're lovers._ He comforted himself. In fact, he should probably talk to them about it soon or they would likely ask. And he could blame any hesitancy and embarrassment on admitting he was gay.

"Sure thing little woman." Grimmjow said easily and began pulling his clothes on. "Here, use these." He said in a quieter voice and Ichigo took the offered kleenex's. "Ya can shower later."

"Right." He really didn't want to keep Yuzu and Karin waiting. Sponging off the mess from his thighs, he tossed the soiled tissues into the wastepaper basket. Making a mental note to always clean that himself, he started out of the room with a smile fixed on his face. He wanted to be cheerful for his sisters.

Lunch was homemade sushi. Grimmjow tucked into it with good cheer, enjoying the food. Ichigo ate quietly, spotting the suspicious and troubled glances Karin was shooting him. Yuzu was oblivious to the tension in the air, pouring them more tea before she sat down to eat.

"You cook really well girl. Ichigo's sushi looked deformed." Grimmjow said and Yuzu laughed as Ichigo blushed a little before giving the arrancar a glare. He just grinned back, lazy and catlike.

"Oh, Ichi-nii is terrible! Once he almost set the house on fire!" Yuzu said cheerfully and Ichigo yelped as Grimmjow looked interested.

"Yuzu! I was ten!" He really didn't think that counted. "I was just trying to help." It seemed he'd never hear the end of it, either. Yuzu smiled at him warmly.

"You're a great help Ichi-nii. Just not so good by yourself." She said kindly and he sighed, drinking more of his tea. She was right, really. He'd always made a better helper for her than a chef himself. Then Grimmjow butted in.

"So what's this about setting the house on fire? Sounds interesting." Ichigo cringed internally then shook his head as Yuzu cheerfully gave Grimmjow the entire, embarrassing story. The part where he dropped the pan in the waste basket and set THAT on fire was particularly bad. "Holy crap! Guess I'm lucky the house is still standing, eh?" He said with a grin and Ichigo snorted.

"I told you, I was ten. I've grown up a bit." He said then twitched as Grimmjow rested a hand on his lower back. That was way too flirtatious in front of his sisters but Ichigo couldn't exactly stop him.

"I've noticed." The tone was sinful and Ichigo grit his teeth as his body registered approval. They'd just had sex! He knew he was young and the sex was great but still, couldn't he control himself? "We – oh what the fucking shit is this bullshit?" Grimmjow growled and Karin scowled.

"Language!" She snapped but the Espada's attention was fixed on the windowsill. The window was open to take advantage of the spring air and Ichigo's stomach clenched as he saw there was a black butterfly perched on it. Scowling, Grimmjow went to the little insect and touched it.

_Please report to the Palace immediately, Sexta._ The message was brief and to the point and the voice belonged to Tosen. Grimmjow chewed his lip as Ichigo watched him.

"I haven't done anything." He muttered and Ichigo almost felt a bit of sympathy for the Espada. That kind of summons was guaranteed to give anyone in the arrancar forces sweaty palms. "Fuck, I got to go. Hopefully I'll be back for supper." Grimmjow said with a scowl and Ichigo nodded as Yuzu looked concerned and Karin frowned.

"We'll save some for you Grimmjow-kun." Yuzu said and Grimmjow grunted before leaving the house. Ichigo honestly felt better now that he was gone. Although that probably meant –

"You're gay Ichi-nii?" That. Ichigo winced at Karin's blunt question. He met her eyes, thinking of what to say. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I just… wasn't sure until recently." He said which was actually pretty honest. He hadn't even been thinking about sex much until that day Grimmjow had Claimed him. _Am I really gay?_ His mind went back to female Grimmjow. She'd been beautiful in a way that reminded him of Yoruichi. A bit less endowed but still absolutely lovely… and he hadn't felt anything. When Grimmjow was naked and male, though, standing in front of him in all his glory… Ichigo sighed to himself. _Yes, I'm gay._ Grimmjow was right, he was a twink.

"He seems to be good for you Ichi-nii. You smile all the time!" Yuzu said and Ichigo had to struggle not to choke on his tea. That was… so wrong it wasn't even funny. Unfortunately, Karin did understand that.

"Yuzu! You know he only smiles like that when he's not happy AT ALL!" She snapped and Yuzu looked stricken. "I mean sure, normally he smiles once in a while but not all the time like that!" Ichigo bit his lip, realizing she was right. He'd been overdoing it in an effort to keep their spirits up. When it had been just him and Grimmjow his smiles had been rare, but more real.

"Oh Karin… I was just hoping things had changed…" Yuzu said and Ichigo understood what she was doing. She was trying to see everything in a hopeful light. She'd always done that but it had gotten more pronounced since Masaki had died. Karin grunted, crossing her arms.

"I don't think so. Why are you with this guy Ichi-nii?" She asked bluntly and Ichigo looked down into his tea. For a moment he could see his reflection in the surface until a stray bit of wind broke it up.

"Grimmjow is very powerful here, Karin." He said softly, trying to put it some way they would understand. "He's not that bad to me. Things could be worse and you'll be safe here." That was the most important thing to him. Grimmjow had given his sisters his Espada markings, pendants of bone with a leaping cat burned into them. Karin hadn't wanted to wear it but the Espada had made it clear that it was very important, that men like the one who had nearly raped Yuzu would steer clear of them. That had finally convinced her to wear it.

"He's not good for you. You don't need him, Ichigo." Karin said firmly and Ichigo sighed before looking up from his tea.

"It's my life Karin. I know what I'm doing." He said firmly. "He's my lover. I know he isn't perfect but I accept him for what he is." To his surprise, he found that statement was close to true. He did accept Grimmjow for what he was… a broken, confused, bitter soul. He knew he couldn't change the arrancar. Grimmjow couldn't even understand why rape was wrong. Karin looked at him for a moment before finally nodding.

"If that's what you want Ichi-nii. He is pretty hot." She admitted grudgingly and that made him smile, a real smile this time. It was true, Grimmjow was close to the physical ideal of masculine beauty. It was a shame that the inside didn't really match.

"I just hope he's okay." Yuzu said worriedly and Ichigo frowned as he sipped his tea. It grated on his soul, but he hoped Grimmjow hadn't somehow run afoul of Aizen. If he died, Ichigo would have to take his sisters and run. Unfortunately, that was probably doomed to failure. He'd never learned to control his reiatsu. It would only be a matter of time before Aizen found him and what kind of chance would he have without Zangetsu? Sighing to himself, he put the whole thing out of mind. Grimmjow would probably be fine. And if he wasn't, there was nothing he could do.

It wasn't worth worrying about.

* * *

"Oi, Grimmy-chan!" Grimmjow grit his teeth at that hail. Only a few people could get away with calling him that and unfortunately, Gin was one of them. "Finally got in! You'll never guess what we got for you today!"

"What?" He grunted, glancing around the room with a deeply unsettled feeling. The servants had brought him down to the torture chambers but that wasn't as bad as it sounded. Mainly because the equipment had clearly been in use. There were dried bloodstains on plenty of it and they were touched with Aizen's reiatsu. Grimmjow frowned as he realized there was a second reiatsu in the room. It was very powerful and he knew he should have been able to name it, but Aizen's signature was just too strong. Gin smiled at him brightly.

"We need a bit 'o help today, Grimmjow-kun." He said cheerfully and Grimmjow relaxed slightly. They wanted him to help torture someone. This didn't happen often but it had happened before. What had that guy's name been? Hisagi? He'd been fun to play with although not nearly as fun as Ichigo. "The Primera's really pissed Aizen off. He needs a proper lesson an' we've got other things to do than play with him all day, heh." Gin's smile was creepy as hell and Grimmjow frowned. Then his mind really parsed the information he'd just been given and his eyes widened.

"Wait, _Starrk_ did something?" That was… Grimmjow was shocked. The Coyote was usually too lazy to do anything, let alone tick off the boss! Now that he knew, though, he could tell the reiatsu in the room belonged to Starrk. That meant the blood had to be his, too. It was a lot of blood. "Uh… okay." He was unnerved but not stupid. They weren't giving him a choice in the matter. "What the fuck did he do?" That was still breaking his brain. Gin shrugged slightly.

"Wouldn't give one of his pets to Halibel. Seems the Coyote is a l'il possessive about his toys." Gin said and Grimmjow frowned. That, he could actually see. Starrk didn't have a lot of options for Claims, unlike the rest of them. For a moment, he thought about it. Ichigo could survive Starrk's reiatsu, of course, but Grimmjow had him in an iron grip. That left… Unohana Retsu. Grimmjow shook his head at the thought. Aizen had taken her for his own, intent on making a child for some godforsaken reason. So if Starrk gave up one of his taichou, he wasn't getting a replacement. Not unless he had Lilinette do a Claim, anyway. Grimmjow pushed the thought away with a shudder. That was too fucking wrong for words.

"Well, ain't my business. What d'you want me to do?" He asked. He wasn't super eager to torture Starrk – he had nothing against the guy – but this was just how things went. Starrk would understand and if the situations were reversed, he'd do the same.

"Rape, pr'bly. Starrk don't seem to like that much." Gin said cheerfully and Grimmjow wondered if Starrk might be emphasizing his pain to trick the shinigami. Most hollows were pretty stoic about rape, it happened so fucking often. When hollows were fed, they preyed on each other in different ways.

When he got to see the Primera, though, he decided that Starrk didn't have enough sense left for anything that clever. He was a goddamned mess. Grimmjow could pick out individual things, recognize the torture instruments that had left the marks, but the whole was just too much to encompass. Unohana was there, her lips tight as she ran her hands over that abused body and offered healing. Grimmjow frowned at the sight before nodding. Aizen had sealed Starrk so he couldn't feed, else Unohana would be taking her life into her hands. Starrk would kill her without even knowing.

"If I rape him like this he won't even feel it." Grimmjow commented idly as he looked into glazed, empty grey eyes. Starrk was in way too much pain to even notice his dick. Unohana didn't look up from her work although Grimmjow saw her back tense.

"Yeah, right. That's why Retsu's healin' him. You got healing saliva, don't you Grimmjow? Why don't you help?" Gin asked and Grimmjow grimaced. That was true, he did. It was shit compared to real healing though. He'd mostly used it to avoid leaving a blood trail. But then, a lot of the lacerations on Starrk's body looked pretty shallow. Painful as fuck, but shallow.

"Yeah, I guess." Unohana was working on his chest so Grimmjow decided to go with the legs. The blood was tasty and he enjoyed cleaning it off, although too much of it was dried and tacky. Instincts urged him to give Starrk a bite but he held back. The Coyote wouldn't appreciate it. As he worked, he thought about what he was being ordered to do.

The truth was, he wasn't keen on it at all. The thought of fucking Starrk into the ground and making the wolf howl like a bitch in heat had a lot of appeal. He was sexy as hell and the only reason Grimmjow hadn't tried it before was the power difference. If Starrk decided to fuck him instead, he'd be the one getting fucked. And now he had Ichigo. The Coyote had no charms compared to his favorite toy.

But his preferred method of rape was the kind that made the victim squirm in pleasure and whimper his name. That wasn't what Aizen and Gin wanted from him today. No, they wanted him to fuck Starrk until he bled. That didn't bother Grimmjow. Why should it? The strong took from the weak and right now, Starrk was weak. But it just wasn't his style, it didn't turn his crank. Working his way to Starrk's thighs, Grimmjow paused at the dried cum there and growled. Like fuck was he going to lick up their spunk. The only one he'd do that for was Ichigo.

"Got a towel?" He asked Unohana and she paused in her work to hand him a damp cloth, her face expressionless. "Thanks." He wiped off Starrk's thighs and scowled at the amount of blood caked on. But that would be for Retsu, there wasn't a fucking thing he could do for internal injuries.

It was a solid half-hour before Starrk's eyes focused. The Coyote licked his lips and tried to say something, but his voice was a messed up rasp.

"Grimmjow-san, could you hold this for him?" Unohana asked, handing him a cup with a straw in it. Grimmjow nodded, putting the straw between Starrk's lips. The Primera seemed confused at first but then he grasped what was happening and sucked at it like there was no tomorrow. It took a while but he finally let go of the straw, breathing heavily.

"Grimmjow. Why are you here?" He asked, his voice still raspy but clear enough. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Guess you exhausted Aizen and Gin. Since they can't get their peckers up, I'm here to fuck you." He said bluntly and the Primera managed a weak chuckle. "Too bad I can't fuck you the way I like. Bet you'd like that, too." He eyed the Coyote's body for a moment. He was starting to look good again. A really excellent chest, washboard abs… yeah, he would tap that. Starrk grunted, wiggling a little in discomfort. The way his arms were fixed was designed to be painful.

"I probably would. But how will you fuck me like this?" He asked and Grimmjow frowned, glancing over the chains. The Coyote had a point. There was no way in hell he could turn him over onto his stomach with the chains like this and Grimmjow had his standards. He was not taking Starrk from the mate position. Scowling, he went to the door as Unohana watched, an air of puzzlement around her. She probably didn't know how hollows mated.

"Yo! Gin! Where the fuck are you?" Grimmjow snarled in frustration as he tried to find the silver haired man. "Shit." His reiatsu sensing was pretty good so it didn't take long for him to figure it out. Gin and with Aizen and… Halibel? Making his way over he finally shoved open a door and found the three of them together, talking quietly. Pausing, he glanced at Halibel.

She looked like she always did, calm, composed and cold. Grimmjow really didn't like her very much. She was a bit like Ulquiorra, in his opinion, but less honest. The only people she cared about were her fraccion. The rest of them could just go straight to hell, as far as Halibel was concerned. Grimmjow had a feeling that she was pleased about what was happening to Starrk, too. He knew for a fact that they'd had a rather short affair, a while back. The Coyote had broken it off, which must have burnt Halibel's tits pretty bad. The Tercero wasn't used to rejection.

"Grimmjow. Excellent. It seems matters have changed." Aizen said with a warm smile and Grimmjow blinked, trying to look at him while avoiding meeting his eyes. After merging with the Hogyoku and taking the Soul King's throne, they had turned into black with violet. That didn't bother him, but the power inside just seemed to suck you in. Very unpleasant and Grimmjow didn't want to experience it. "Halibel no longer requires one of Starrk's pets."

"Huh? Why not?" Grimmjow asked, surprised. They'd been putting the Primera through hell, why would they suddenly give up now? Halibel had been looking down but her sea-green eyes lifted up and Grimmjow was struck by how lifeless they looked. Maybe she'd really felt something for the l'il guy.

"I am pregnant." She said softly and Grimmjow's mind went right off the rails. He gaped for a moment before rebooting. If she was pregnant then…

"Toshiro? Did he know?" He asked. If he had, then the little guy was a selfish bastard, offing himself at a time like this. Halibel shook her head, her blond hair moving with the motion.

"No. I found out this morning." She said and Grimmjow nodded. That made more sense. "But I do not wish an unrelated male in my household." She said and Grimmjow nodded again. That was good sense. Sure, shinigami were not hollows but every instinct she possessed would register a strange male as a threat to her child. The fraccion would feel it too, which practically guaranteed the shinigami in question would go through hell, if he survived at all. It was much better not to go there.

"So I've been called here for nothing?" Grimmjow was sort of disappointed. Aizen chuckled softly.

"Starrk is still guilty of defiance, Sexta. You can enjoy him before you leave." He said and Grimmjow nodded before grinning. If they didn't want to punish Starrk that much anymore, maybe he could fuck the wolf the way he wanted. That would be nice, he'd like to see the sounds Starrk could make. Then he suddenly thought of something. Aizen was in a pretty good mood. Might be a good time…

"Hey, I was wondering if you could help me out with something, Aizen-kami." He said as respectfully as he could. "I want to teach Ichigo kido but Ukitake says he might blow the house up. Could you tell me how you learned kido?" Grimmjow asked and hoped, hoped so hard that Aizen wouldn't demand something from him for the answer. Aizen looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Really. And how often do you plan to Claim him, if you manage that?" He asked and Grimmjow scowled.

"Once a month." He replied gruffly. It grated on him to admit that Ichigo was more powerful, but he was damned well not going to let the brat get away from him. And Kurosaki's problem was not being able to harness his reiryoku properly. Learning kido would definitely help with that. Aizen nodded after a moment's thought.

"I doubt anyone could break free of you with that kind of reinforcement. Very well… I had a friend in the 12th who helped me. We devised reiatsu limiters that cut my reiatsu severely, then gradually worked our way up. It was like training wheels." Aizen explained and Grimmjow made a note to visit Szayel first thing. He could make something like that, sure as anything. Then he wondered what had happened to Aizen's 'friend' after he'd finished learning kido. Probably something nasty.

"Thank you Aizen-kami." He said, and meant it. Aizen just smiled and went back to Halibel, discussing some alterations in her duties. Gin was listening but Grimmjow grabbed him. "Hey, I need you to help me with these chains. I'm not taking Starrk from the mate position." He said firmly. Then a horrible suspicion occurred to him. Gin had said that Starrk didn't care for rape much… had they…? "Hey, did you fuck him from the front?" He asked, apprehensive. Gin's smile made things worse.

"Sure we did! Why not? You ain't in Hueco Mundo anymore, Grimmy-chan." Gin said mockingly as Grimmjow froze in horror for a moment. That was… wrong. He was surprised the Primera had been relatively calm, when they spoke. But Starrk knew Grimmjow wouldn't violate him that way. "Gotta change with the times." Grimmjow held back what he wanted to say, but it was hard. He'd gotten away with asking Aizen for a favor, he didn't want to fuck it up now.

"Well, I'm still a hollow. Come on, fix the fucking chains for me." He growled and made a mental note to be gentle with Starrk. The Primera had been through enough.

Hopefully, Aizen would send him home to his pets and other half soon.


	8. Shower Sex

Steam rose around them as Ichigo bit his lip, gripping the wall with trembling hands. Water was dripping from his hair and down his face, dropping onto the shower tiles. All of his body was beaded with it and the shower was running at full blast, raising more steam.

"Why is it only you?" Grimmjow whispered in his ear and Ichigo groaned softly as the arrancar gripped his right leg, pulling it up to get a better angle for his penetration. His left foot slipped on the wet, soapy tiles but Grimmjow caught his thigh with his other hand, easily steadying him. "Is it some kind of pheromone? Something about the way you fight? Something in your blood?" Ichigo gasped as he was forced flush against the wall, his cock rubbing against the wet surface. The stimulation in front and behind was nearly unbearable. "No, can't be that… I don't bite you that much…" Grimmjow growled and Ichigo gasped as those fangs nibbled on his throat. "Tastes good though…"

"What… are you… talking about…?" Ichigo managed to ask as his body was rocked by forceful, passionate thrusts. Grimmjow was breathing heavily but still managed to talk, not stopping his rhythm for a moment.

"Starrk is a beautiful bastard… his back is as good as yours. His abs might be better. That face of his… he's fucking perfection." Grimmjow said and Ichigo gasped as the Espada did _something_ inside him that had him seeing stars. But why was he talking about someone else? Who was Starrk? "The sounds he made when I fucked him… it should have been great. But the whole fucking time, I was thinking of you. Why? Why are you so fucking special, Ichigo?" Grimmjow's voice was so full of lust that Ichigo shivered, despite the heat and steam filling the bathroom.

"I don't… know…" Ichigo gasped out. "Oh fuck." He cursed, wishing Grimmjow would touch his cock. He lifted his left leg, wrapping it around Grimmjow's in an effort to get more from him. It happened without any thought, his bodily desires overriding everything else. "Nnn… uh…" For a moment he contemplated asking Grimmjow to touch him before feeling a sudden rush of shame. What in hell was wrong with him? Was he really enjoying this that much?

Fortunately he didn't have to beg. Grimmjow let go of his right leg, wrapping one arm around his hips to hold him steady. The other hand encircled his cock and began jerking him off in a quick, practiced motion. The water wasn't much of a lubricant and Ichigo could hear the soft squeak of wet flesh against wet flesh. It still felt amazing.

It felt like they were fucking forever and Ichigo was trembling and gasping by the time his release finally came. That big hand gave him a final, hard jerk and Ichigo came with a cry he couldn't quite muffle. Grimmjow followed a moment later, pistoning into him hard and fast before releasing with a sharp, feral sound. Ichigo rested his forehead against the wet shower tiles as he felt that familiar heat inside him, the warmth of the arrancar's release. It still didn't feel good but he wasn't that sickened by it anymore. Why?

_Because Karin and Yuzu are here. Because I'm doing this for them._ The answer came to him easily and Ichigo almost smiled at the thought. He was protecting his sisters. Not from Grimmjow – the Espada didn't seem interested in them – but from a hostile world that wouldn't hesitate to destroy them. Then Grimmjow removed himself from his body and Ichigo staggered a little, wincing as he felt the hot spray against the wounds on his neck and shoulders. Grimmjow had nipped him quite a bit and in the throes of passion he hadn't even noticed.

"Let's get clean." Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded tiredly before grabbing the soap. Grimmjow 'helped' clean him, using the excuse to grope him a little. They were out of the shower and drying off before the meaning of the things Grimmjow had been babbling really struck him. Ichigo paused, a towel in his hands as he ran through it again.

"Grimmjow, who is Starrk?" He asked, keeping his tone impressively even. But he was pissed. Extremely pissed. Who had the Espada been sleeping with? Grimmjow turned and flashed him a grin.

"You jealous, Kurosaki? He's the fucking Primera." Grimmjow said and Ichigo's eyes narrowed as his hands clenched in the towel. He was tempted to throw it into the Espada's face. He didn't even think to question the strength of his reaction. "Oh, calm the fuck down. Aizen ordered me to rape him."

"Wait, _what?_ " Ichigo said, shocked, and his eyes went wide as Grimmjow just shrugged and wrapped a towel around his waist. "He didn't!" That was just… if Grimmjow was telling the truth, this Starrk person was the second most powerful Espada. Why in hell would Aizen be ordering one of his own soldiers to be violated? Grimmjow grimaced, running a hand through his hair.

"I know shinigami don't do it the same way but rape is a mid-level punishment for hollows, Kurosaki. All that shit in the torture chamber was more extreme… Well. Maybe not. Aizen and Gin are fuckers." Grimmjow muttered and Ichigo swallowed hard. "Raping him from the mate position… I think the poor bastard was actually glad to see me. He knows how I roll."

"You're a complete bastard." Ichigo said but there was no heat in his voice now. Grimmjow couldn't disobey Aizen and expecting him not to take advantage of someone as attractive as this Starrk person clearly was, well, that was absurd. "And Aizen is a complete bastard times two." He added and Grimmjow tossed his head back with a laugh.

"Shit! At least Aizen is past me on the bastard scale, hey? Come on, let's get some breakfast. I smell something good." Grimmjow started out and Ichigo got to see his bare back. He swallowed at the sight, looking down. He would never tell Grimmjow but his back was excellent too, firm and muscled in exactly the right way.

"Can you two keep it down a little? You're scarring Yuzu." Karin growled as they reached the table and Ichigo blushed violently, looking away. Then Yuzu's voice came from the kitchen.

"Oh, it's fine Karin-chan! I'm just glad they're having fun!" She said cheerfully and Grimmjow laughed, sipping on his coffee. The arrancar hated tea but he was getting fond of that beverage. "There! The egg toast is done!" She brought it out, along with maple syrup and cream. Ichigo took a deep breath before taking a bit of the toast. He was hungry, after his exertions.

"Oh, fine. They're scarring me. I don't want to hear this." Karin complained and Ichigo managed a smile as Grimmjow laughed again. He grabbed some egg toast and covered it in whipped cream but didn't touch the maple syrup.

"Delicate flower." He teased as Karin scowled. "Mmm, this shit is delicious." Grimmjow licked off his spoon, savoring the whipped cream. "Hardly needs the toast, I could eat a bowl of this shit all by itself."

"You're such a cat." Ichigo commented as he watched that tongue doing sinful things to the spoon. Shit, it was sexy… then Grimmjow stopped and grinned at him.

"Meow." He said and Ichigo was surprised into laughter. It felt good and Yuzu giggled as Karin shook her head. "Well, I have to get to work again. That red haired dude actually needs my help, his shit ain't together. See you guys later."

"Wait, red haired…?" Ichigo started but then stopped as Grimmjow breezed out. "I thought he was supervising Toshiro." He said to himself, staring after him. What was going on? For a moment he cursed the Espada. He hadn't been given permission to leave the house.

"Well, why don't you go see Shiro-chan, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked and his heart seized up. He hadn't exactly been keeping the fact that he couldn't leave the house away from them, it just hadn't come up. Grimmjow had been letting him leave almost every morning. But not today.

"Maybe tomorrow. I have a few things I need to do." Ichigo said, glossing over it as best he could. Karin looked at him oddly but shrugged and went back to her toast. Ichigo looked down into his tea, biting his lip for a moment. He almost didn't want to know – there was nothing he could do – but it wasn't right. He needed to stop living in this bubble, needing to find out what was happening to his friends.

The next time Grimmjow gave him time to himself he would nose around the market. Someone there would know something.

* * *

"Oi, Red! How's it hangin'?" Grimmjow barged into the office as usual and the shinigami looked up from the paperwork with dull eyes. They looked like they were coated in a white film, although it was going down. "You seeing better?"

"Yeah." He grunted as Grimmjow plopped down across from him. "I can still use some help with this though." Renji said grudgingly and Grimmjow nodded as he picked up a pen and licked the end. He always did that, he wasn't sure why. "I can't believe you're actually more help than Rangiku." He said with a sigh and Grimmjow laughed.

"Gin wasn't kidding when he said she was shit at paperwork. So what's urgent?" He asked. He wasn't willing to waste his whole day with this crap but Grimmjow had been ordered to give Renji extra support. So he blocked out a couple hours every day to help him with the most important bits. A lot of the paperwork was bullshit, things that had accumulated as the bureaucracy expanded or shit Aizen had put on to exhaust them. Grimmjow had already suggested a tragic fire to take care of that shit and he had a feeling Renji was considering it. But some things were actually important and it was his job to help Renji with the real stuff.

Grimmjow accepted several of the reports and started reading them out loud, then filling them in with Renji's answers. He didn't know shit about what he was doing, really, but he was a fast reader and good at transcription. His handwriting was legible, too. Which was good because a lot of these reports would be going to Aizen-kami. Of course, if he'd been doing this himself his word choice would have left a lot to be desired. 'Engaged hostile hollows and completed purification' would have been something like 'kicked serious ass, no prisoners'.

"How is Ichigo?" Renji suddenly asked and Grimmjow looked up, surprised. It was the first time the redhead had asked about him.

"He's fine. Healthy, good in bed, all that shit." He said indifferently and saw Renji tense. No surprise really. "What? You know I have him Claimed. What did you think I was doing with him?"

"Shut up you filthy bastard!" Renji snarled and Grimmjow scowled before shoving the work aside. It looked like red wasn't interested in continuing it at the moment. "I mean, how is he holding up?" Renji sounded very worried and Grimmjow grunted. That was a very real concern.

"I've been keeping him in the house. He doesn't know about most of the shit going down." He said shortly and Renji looked briefly relieved. "And he's got a few advantages over you, being into men and shit." Grimmjow was pretty sure Renji wasn't gay at all. Being Claimed by Szayel had to be a trial and a half, especially since the Octava would have to refresh it regularly.

"Shut the fuck up!" Renji's hand hit the desk and Grimmjow blinked. He hadn't even been trying to be offensive that time, he'd just been speaking the truth. "Ichigo isn't like you." He growled and Grimmjow rubbed his forehead, trying to figure this out.

"No, he isn't. I like girls too." He agreed and Renji looked ready to explode. Then it suddenly clicked. "Oh, I get it now. You have a problem with your best friend liking dick, Red?" Grimmjow asked, grinning like a shark. When he'd been alive that attitude had been pretty common. He hadn't shared it even then, though. After he'd lost the wife and kids his only 'interests' had been other men. It had just been easier, men could take care of themselves and didn't get knocked up.

"Stop talking about him like that! Ichigo is not queer." Renji snapped and Grimmjow shook his head.

"The way he moans with my cock in his ass says otherwise." He replied, baiting the shinigami and the redhead looked like he wanted to kill him. Just too bad for Renji he was half-blind. Unohana was fixing the problem, which Szayel had caused with god-knows-what experiment. Szayel was better at breaking things than fixing them, though. "But fuck this shit. If we don't get our work done Aizen will be down both our asses like a bad case of diaper rash." Renji glared at him, his temper almost incandescent. Then he grudgingly sat back down.

"If I ever get a chance I'm going to kill you." He growled and Grimmjow snorted, pulling the papers back towards him.

"Ichigo wouldn't thank you. I'm a hell of a lot gentler than some and he can't hide his reiatsu for shit. Now, can we get on with this?" He asked, bored and Renji began dictating again. His voice was rough with anger but Grimmjow ignored it. He really didn't care what Renji thought of him and he kind of thought the guy was a dick. Really, how would Ichigo react if he knew how Red felt about him being a twink? Grimmjow was pretty sure it would hurt.

Humans got upset about that sort of thing.

* * *

"Oi, Kurosaki!" Ichigo looked up then yelped in surprise and anger as Grimmjow grabbed the kido book off his lap and very neatly tossed it in the trash can. It was a very good toss, actually, but he was in no mental state to appreciate it.

"Grimmjow, what the hell?" He was just moving when two… no, three new books were abruptly dumped into his lap by a grinning arrancar. "What are these?" He looked at them stupidly for a moment before turning them over and staring. The three books were simply entitled Bakudo, Hado and Kaido. The words were engraved with gold, though, and the covers of the books were fine leather. They looked to be brand new.

"Those are your new kido books. That thing you were using was a piece of shit, I only let you keep it for something to do." Grimmjow said as Ichigo began to flip through Bakudo. "These are the books the shinigami use at the academy. Starrk's taichou helped me out – OI! No trying shit!" Ichigo started as a hand slapped down on the page. He had been mustering his energy but why was Grimmjow scowling at him like that? "The white haired dude also told me you might blow up my fucking house and kill your sisters so no pulling stupid shit!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, feeling stupider by the moment. But he had no idea what was going on. Grimmjow quickly explained the problem with his reiryoku and Ichigo frowned before nodding. That did explain why Rukia and Urahara had never introduced him to kido. He'd thought they were just pressed for time. "So how will I learn then?" He asked and Grimmjow grinned again before dropping something else in his lap. Ichigo picked up the pieces of metal, looking at them curiously. They looked like bracelets and they had been fashioned out of a black, shiny metal. They were set with dark purple crystals and looked almost fashionable.

"Those things are reiatsu limiters. They've got different settings and everything. We're starting at the top setting. Put 'em on." Grimmjow ordered and Ichigo did so. He was very curious about this. "Now, here's how you put them on the top setting." He touched all the crystals and they began to glow with a gentle light. "If you want to lower it a bit…" He touched one of the crystals and the glow went off. "But right now you need the top setting. Aizen said this is like training wheels. You gradually take 'em off and learn to control your power at higher and higher levels. You should also be able to learn how to dampen your power a whole lot better."

"Why are you doing this?" Ichigo asked, looking at the Espada with something close to wonder. Why did Grimmjow want to make him more powerful? Grimmjow paused, then grinned at him.

"Why else? I want to fight you shinigami. And without that fucking sword of yours, this is the best we can do." Grimmjow nudged the books with his fingers, then shrugged. "It might take you years to figure all this out. Shinigami take six years, I think, and even then they're not masters at this shit. But what do we have but time?" He said and there was an odd note in his voice. Regret? Ichigo chewed his lip for a moment before nodding with a sigh. Grimmjow was right, they had plenty of time.

"Well, I'll get started then – umph?" Ichigo blinked as he was pulled into a kiss. As always, it was surprisingly gentle for the brutal man. Then Grimmjow's hands were in his shirt, pulling him to his feet. Ichigo managed to dump the books onto the sofa before big hands began massaging his ass.

"I think you should thank me for being so damned thoughtful." Grimmjow breathed and Ichigo snorted a laugh at the thought.

"Oh bullshit. You're just thinking of yourself." He said, tangling a hand in that blue hair and looking into brilliant azure eyes. Grimmjow looked surprised for a moment, then grinned.

"You know me pretty well, shinigami. Okay, why don't we just have a celebratory screw?" He said and Ichigo nodded with a small smile. Karin and Yuzu had gone to a park and would be gone for hours. It was a perfect time to satisfy Grimmjow's lusts and he was in a pretty good mood. He'd never thought Grimmjow would help him learn kido, and now he finally knew why it hadn't been working. It was a relief to find out it wasn't him. So when Grimmjow pulled him towards the bedroom, he didn't even mind.

Life was starting to look up.

* * *

Juushiro opened his eyes to see a white stucco ceiling. The little popcorn marks seemed like the most fascinating thing in the world and he stared at them before slowly beginning to count them. One, two, three, four… then he lost track and closed his eyes. Something moved beside him and he opened his eyes again, glancing over slowly.

"Starrk!" He tried to sit up and gasped as his body registered serious disapproval. The dizziness, the flush and the pain in his chest told him what had happened. Well, that and the memories of a violent attack. It had started just after he'd sent Lido off to die and had escalated from there. Healers from the 4th had needed to rush in and carry him out, to the healing Division. The Primera wrinkled his nose, still asleep and Juushiro smiled before reaching out to stroke chestnut hair. "You're alright." Even in the midst of his delirium, he'd been worried. Starrk snorted and nestled his face against Juushiro's shoulder, making him laugh before coughing. The cough became stronger and the Primera grumbled before blinking, really waking from his doze.

"Oh, you're awake?" He asked as he sat up and Juushiro managed to nod between racking coughs. "Lilinette!" Starrk called and there was a pause before the young girl bounded in.

"I'm here! You want me to nip him again?" She asked and Starrk nodded as Ukitake watched, uncomprehending. Then he blinked as Lilinette went to his side and put a hand on his chest. At first he felt nothing but then there was a feeling of warmth, like a beautiful summer day, and a blessed sensation of numbness. After a few moments Lilinette pulled her hand away with a grin. "There! You better Shiro-chan?"

"…Yes." Juushiro said, amazed. Somehow her touch had completely suppressed his coughing, preventing it from reaching the worst heights. "How did you…?" He wasn't even sure what she had done. Lilinette shrugged before reaching up and running her fingers through her hair.

"It's my nip. I'm too weak to feed easily so what I'd do is, I'd sort of make my prey numb and happy. Made it a lot easier to feed. Not that I ever really had to do it, since Starrk's aura always ate everything without trying." She said and Ukitake nodded. "See, it's only a reiatsu feed. Your body is the problem, not your reiatsu. Unohana checked it out and basically, I'm taking a bit of your power and making your body numb and happy for a while. It's a win-win, see?"

"Well, it definitely feels lovely, thank you." Juushiro said but his smile was a bit forced. That reminded him of his seated officer. Then there was a gentle hand on his shoulder and Juushiro looked up into concerned grey eyes.

"Your shinigami are fine. I refused to eat them." He said softly and Juushiro stared at him, shocked. How could Starrk even do that? Hollow hunger was insatiable. "I ate a piece of myself instead."

"Yeah, and you promised me you wouldn't do that anymore! It hurt like fire! You're an asshole, Starrk!" Lilinette yelled before grabbing a pillow off the bed and tossing it at the Primera. He caught it with a tired grin. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"I'll try not to." He said to Lilinette before turning his attention back to his bedmate. "Aizen was quite upset with me, he kept me for three days." Starrk said quietly and Juushiro winced. "But in the end, Halibel decided she didn't want either of you. It seems she's pregnant and female hollows never welcome unrelated males in such circumstances." He explained as Juushiro's eyes went wide. Pregnant?

"Pregnant? Is it…?" He asked and Starrk nodded sadly. "Poor child." He sighed to himself, feeling sad for the child who would never know his or her father. "Are you well?" Lilinette's nip had focused his mind a bit and Juushiro was becoming aware that there was something slightly off about Starrk. He was smiling but his eyes seemed tired and sad, his whole body weighted with sorrow. The Coyote paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm fine." He said quietly and Juushiro was certain he was lying. "Just concentrate on getting well. You've been sick for five days." That explained why he felt so tired and weak. Juushiro sighed and began pushing himself up. Starrk gripped his shoulder but he shrugged the Primera's hand away.

"I need to get moving." He explained as Starrk frowned. "Would you like me to make some tea?" That might be good for them both and he really needed to get out of the bed while he could. Lilinette's nip really was working wonders. Starrk regarded him worriedly for a moment before Lilinette spoke up.

"Shiro's slept long enough Starrk! He's not like you. Come on Shiro-chan, you can lean on me." Lilinette helped him up and Juushiro smiled at her, resting a hand on her shoulder and putting some of his weight on her. She wasn't really a child, she could help him. "Just remember that my nip only makes you feel good and helps with the coughing. It's not making you better." She warned him and he nodded.

"Nothing can do that, but thank you. Any relief is appreciated." He said and she smiled up at him. She helped him out as Starrk yawned and climbed out of bed. Soon they were all having tea outside, enjoying the fine summer day. Juushiro smiled as he looked up at the sky.

His Division was still intact, for now at least.


	9. Storm Front

Grimmjow growled to himself as he felt the storm front building.

It was a figurative storm and it was moving through the Claim. He could hear the shouting from the back yard, where he'd been playing a spirited game of hackey sack. And he could feel Ichigo's emotions. They were incredibly strong and unbelievably negative. Shame, pain, despair… Grimmjow winced as they solidified into something so strong it was almost a thought. _I want to die._

In Grimmjow's mind, all of that amounted to _I have got to stop this bullshit right the fuck now._ Partly it was because he really did give a shit about Ichigo's feelings. There was more to it, though. When a hollow Claimed someone and inflicted pain on them, there was a kind of mental filter in place that translated it into pleasure, often enough. Grimmjow had never felt that, not really, but his mental filter ensured that when he was disciplining Kurosaki he didn't feel much. When someone else was hurting him, though, he took it full blast. That was why even the cruelest Claimer didn't want someone else abusing their pet. And what was happening right now was emotional abuse.

So he dropped his ball and went inside. As soon as he opened the door he could hear Karin yelling at her brother and Yuzu pleading for them not to fight. Ichigo wasn't saying anything at all and as he stormed in, Grimmjow could easily see why. The look on his face was utterly devastated and matched the feelings he was getting through the Claim perfectly.

"Toshiro is dead!" Karin was in the midst of yelling and Grimmjow swore to himself. He'd been trying to keep that away from Ichigo. "How can you whore to that murdering bastard – " Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and he moved, catching the girl by her throat and slamming her against the wall.

"Stay where you are." He snapped at Ichigo, who had just begun to move. He halted with a feeling of anguish and utter helplessness. Yuzu was crying and pulling on his arm but he ignored her, focusing his attention on Karin. "You little bitch. You know why he's fucking me?" He growled, glaring at the girl. How dare she make hurt Ichigo like this! She gagged, trying to pry away his hand. "Because I Claimed him. He's not my lover, he's not my friend, he's my fucking slave. You see how he's standing there? If I ordered him to kill himself and put power behind it, he would _fucking well do it._ " Grimmjow snarled, punctuating it by jerking his fist up and down a bit. The girl bounced, her eyes wide.

"Grimmjow-kun, please let Karin-chan go, please – " Yuzu begged but he growled at her, giving her a clear warning. She let go of his arm and sobbed harder as he turned his attention back to Karin. She was grimacing now, gripping his wrist.

"If you want to hate your brother for being weak, go right ahead. Put it to him for being a fucking failure? Fine. But don't you dare mess with him about sleeping with me because he _doesn't have a choice._ He never did." Grimmjow said harshly before letting her go, letting the girl drop to her knees. She gasped and rubbed her throat as Yuzu hugged her.

"You're a rapist." Karin said, her voice raspy and Grimmjow snorted. Was that supposed to mean something to him?

"All hollows are. The only thing that changes is the type of rape." He told her before looking at Ichigo. "You can move." The teen ran to his sisters, putting his arms around them both and whispering soothing things to them. Yuzu and Karin both hugged him back and Grimmjow could hear Karin saying she was sorry. Nodding to himself, he left the room to give them some time alone.

He didn't want the girls to be breaking Ichigo's heart. They could hate him, he didn't give a shit.

* * *

Grimmjow lay on the bed, awake, his hands behind his head. He was curious to see how long it would take for Ichigo to show up.

He was certainly taking his time. Normally, that would have been asking for a punishment. But Grimmjow had given him permission, telling him he was expected in the bedroom but he could stay up later than usual if he wanted. Grimmjow growled to himself as he felt the feelings coming through the Claim. Pain, shock, helplessness… it wasn't as strong as earlier but it wasn't good. What were the girls telling him?

_I should have known I couldn't keep things from him with them here._ He had no claim on Karin and Yuzu. They could wander through the markets, talk to people and no one knew who they were. No one really wanted to talk to Ichigo much, for his 'failure', but everyone would talk to them. And he'd had a sense that Ichigo was getting ambitions lately so he'd been keeping the shinigami close to home, hemming in his excursions with orders. Really, the girls should have noticed that when he said Ichigo could go to the park, he only went to the park. There were no impulsive trips for ice cream.

Finally the door opened and for a brief moment, Ichigo was framed by the light. Grimmjow admired him for a moment, his bright orange hair, that great body… but his brown eyes looked lifeless and he was weighed down with depression. Scowling to himself Grimmjow pushed himself up so he was resting on his elbows.

"Grimmjow, you're still awake? I'm sorry, I thought you were going to sleep." Ichigo said, his voice almost as lifeless as his eyes. Grimmjow frowned as he tried to get a sense of what was going through his head. He felt numb, but not in a good way. There were bad things going on beneath that surface.

"Thought you might need to talk." He said, trying to figure out what to do. Then he said _fuck it, just go with instincts._ It usually worked. "Come here." He said and Ichigo obeyed, getting undressed and slipping into bed beside him. Some life came back to those brown eyes as Grimmjow touched him, but it wasn't desire.

"Please Grimm… not tonight. Tomorrow, I promise." Ichigo pleaded and Grimmjow grimaced. He knew if he fucked Ichigo now it would be sub-par at best. There was no way anything he could do would get through this mood.

"I'm not interested in screwing you, shinigami. What did they tell you?" He asked and Ichigo's eyes dimmed again. The depression coming through the Claim… he didn't like that feeling, didn't like it at all. "Come on, tell me." He gently tugged on the Claim. Ichigo needed to get this off his chest, whether he wanted to or not.

It was as bad as he'd feared. Ichigo knew about the square, the shit that had gone down that day. He knew about Toshiro's death and how all his friends were enslaved to arrancar now. The only one to escape that fate was Sado and they had no idea where he'd gotten to. Odds were good he was still in Hueco Mundo and with his hollow powers, maybe he'd even be able to survive there. Ichigo broke down a bit as he talked about Renji and Rukia. The midget was dead, she'd died in the fighting and Ichigo tearfully confessed that he was almost glad she'd been spared this. Grimmjow acted on his instincts and pulled the shinigami into a gentle embrace, letting the hot tears trickle down his chest.

"And it's all my fault. If only I'd been stronger…" Ichigo whispered brokenly and that ignited the Espada's ire. He growled and the shinigami looked up, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Bullshit! You are seventeen years old." He snapped and really meant it. "You got your powers a fucking year ago. All this crap about the savior of Soul Society… yeah, you did some amazing things but shit! Whose fault is this really? You, the kid who came out of nowhere? Or all those fucking taichou who couldn't get their shit together and do something about one of their own? They had that bastard in their ranks for centuries and they didn't see anything! The people who knew the truth got exiled!" Grimmjow growled and Ichigo swallowed before shaking his head. "You can't put this all on yourself, shinigami!"

"Yes, I can!" Ichigo came back at him, his eyes blazing with both anger and anguish. Grimmjow still thought it was an improvement. "I'm the protector! I'm the one with the vast reiryoku! I should have made it happen Grimm! And now that I haven't… all those people…" He was breathing heavily and Grimmjow acted on instinct again. Instinct was such a wonderful thing.

"Let it out. Let all the feelings out." He commanded, but without the Claim. Ichigo ran his hands through his hair and screamed. That scream contained all of his pain, his anguish, his rage. Then Grimmjow pulled him close again as he sobbed. The sobs were full blown this time, the deep, wracking sounds of a man in mortal pain. He let Ichigo wear himself out, get the poison out. "That better?" He asked as the sobs tailed off and Ichigo was left breathing heavily. The shinigami nodded slightly, his face tucked against Grimmjow's neck.

"A little." He said, sounding very tired. A hand rested on his chest, slowly tracing his scar, but Grimmjow didn't mind. "Did you have to tell them I'm your slave? I was trying to keep that away from them." He said and the Espada snorted.

"That was fine until they knew who and what I am. Do you really want them to think you're my lover now? When they know I helped fuck up all your friends?" He asked and Ichigo lowered his eyes before sighing softly and shaking his head. "If it makes you feel any better, I thought it was a great idea to keep all this shit from you. Then your sisters blew it out of the water." Grimmjow rolled his eyes at himself. "Should have seen that one coming." Really, he'd been dumb as hell. Ichigo managed a weak smile before yawning.

"I'm tired." He muttered and Grimmjow nodded. He was tired too and he had more work with Red tomorrow. But…

"Just remember. Your sisters are counting on you. If you give up and leave them alone you really will be a fucking failure." Grimmjow said firmly and Ichigo nodded, a flash of anguish passing through those brown eyes. But Grimmjow thought this was the one thing he could use to keep Ichigo from giving up completely. His sisters really did need him, if Ichigo died tomorrow he'd have no reason to keep them in his house. He might, just because Yuzu's cooking was good, but Ichigo didn't need to know that.

Protecting his sisters would keep him sane.

* * *

For the next week, things were a bit awkward.

Well, actually, a lot awkward. Karin was coldly furious with him and Yuzu was tearful. Grimmjow just took it like a man. Arrancar. Whatever. They could hate him if it meant they didn't hate Ichigo. It was a fair trade, really.

But things gradually got back to normal. Karin still didn't like him and probably never would, but they could at least talk without killing each other. Then something kind of interesting happened.

"Can I come see Ichigo tomorrow?" Renji asked as they worked on the paperwork, to Grimmjow's surprise. "It's my day off." He added and the Espada frowned, tapping his lips with the pen.

"And Szayel lets you wander off?" He asked skeptically and redhead grimaced.

"Szayel ordered me to come home at night but otherwise, he doesn't want to see me now that he's forbidden to experiment on me. He says I'm a clumsy oaf who might ruin all of his experiments." He said and Grimmjow snorted. He could totally see that. "I'd really like to see how Ichigo is doing."

"Eh…" He thought about it for a moment. It did have an upside. Renji's eyes were a lot clearer and he wasn't nearly as scarred up. Unohana and her flunkies were taking good care of him. Ichigo would probably be glad to see him. On the other hand… "No giving him the gory details about the purges, okay?" He said and Renji grimaced before nodding. That was one thing the girls hadn't been able to tell Ichigo. That damage was confined to the shinigami and the common folk probably weren't aware of how bad it had gotten. "And absolutely no talking about the Claim." He said firmly and Renji scowled.

"As if I want to dwell on THAT!" He said angrily but Grimmjow just gave him a hard look.

"I'm saying, don't make him feel bad for enjoying it." He growled and Renji scowled, looking away. "No talking about his sexuality at all. Got it?" He was really worried that Renji would get onto Ichigo for being gay. He was sure by now that the bastard was against it. Renji looked back at him with a frown.

"I don't believe you but even if I did, he's still my friend." He said and Grimmjow grinned. That was what he wanted to hear.

"That's the spirit! Okay, you can come see him. I'll go bother Starrk or something and you guys can have some alone time." Not that he was going to sleep with the Primera again. No, he'd just show up and demand some food and see what Lili was up to. Starrk would be asleep and even if he was awake, he'd be too lazy to kick another Espada out. Grimmjow honestly liked hanging around him. It could be boring but at least it wasn't annoying or dangerous.

"Starrk? Are you his friend or something?" Red sounded interested and Grimmjow wondered why. Then he shrugged.

"Not really. We get on okay. He's just the best guy to hang around. Szayel's a dangerous dick, Zommari's dead but when he was alive he was boring, Nnoitra's a dick, Ulquiorra's a really annoying dick, Halibel's dangerous and Barragan is a dangerous, enormous dick." Grimmjow summed them all up as Renji looked at him in disbelief. "The only one who's got Barragan beat in the dick category is Aizen. Oh, and Gin is dangerous and creepy while Tosen is a boring dick." It seemed like his life was full of irritating people. Renji snorted, then laughed.

"You left out Yammy. What do you think of him?" He asked in an amused tone, but it had a slight edge. Grimmjow wasn't really sure why but the shinigami was right, he'd left out that moron.

"Yammy's thicker than a streak of lard and dangerous as hell when he gets riled up, which is pretty fucking easy to do." Grimmjow answered honestly and Renji looked down, his expression pinched. "I'd rather pull out my nose hairs with pliers than hang around that dickhead. Why? You got something against him?" He wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Yammy was just too stupid for regular duties so he was used for muscle. That was guaranteed to make him hated among the shinigami.

"My former taichou is Claimed by him." Renji said and Grimmjow winced. He'd often felt sorry for that particular shinigami. Knowing Yammy the dresses were just the tip of a very unpleasant iceberg. At the very least, he was getting beaten on a regular basis.

"Wish I could do something, but…" Grimmjow said, not sure why he felt that way. Why did he care about Yammy's pet? Still, he knew what it was like to have a violent Claimer. He hadn't started out powerful. Renji just sighed. "Paperwork?" Grimmjow picked up the form and Red nodded.

"Right." Grimmjow read off the next section and began filling it out as Renji dictated. He was actually getting a handle on how these reports worked. Maybe he'd keep doing this even after Red's eyesight was back, help him clear out some of the backlog. He'd actually done forms before, as a living man. They hadn't been nearly as involved though. Still, he was getting the hang of it.

And it made him feel useful. That was something he'd been lacking for a while.

* * *

Shunsui smiled to himself as he looked at the closed door. Then he fished a glass out of his kimono and pressed it to the door before adding his ear. Juvenile, perhaps, but it worked. And he'd always enjoyed being immature.

Right now he was using his immaturity for a higher cause. Something was very wrong with Starrk. Juushiro had spotted it but was in no condition to deal with it. A shame, since he was definitely better at this sort of thing. But Lilinette's nips could only do so much and he was very ill. It was up to Shunsui, if they wanted to do anything at all.

"…Need to tell them, Starrk." Ah, he'd known this would be good. Shunsui settled in to listen as Lilinette continued to speak. "They can help."

"I don't need help, Lilinette." Starrk's voice sounded strained, uneven. "And you know why I can't. They're shinigami, they wouldn't understand."

"So explain it to them!" Lilinette said and there was a painful silence. "…I know you don't want to admit what you did but they won't hold it against you Starrk. Shiro-chan and Kimono-chan really like you."

"Not like that." Shunsui frowned. Starrk's voice was so low that he was having trouble hearing him. "Not like… that. I've wronged them both. They can't know – "

"Know what?" Shunsui decided to bring out the elephant in the room and pushed the door open, favoring a stricken Starrk and a stunned Lilinette with a sunny smile. "You're worrying poor Juushiro, Starrk-sama. It's not good for his health. What's wrong?" He asked and Starrk looked away. The look on his face was quietly depressed.

"Nothing really. I'm fine." He said quietly and Shunsui smiled as Lilinette kicked Starrk in the back. "Ow! Lilinette!"

"Stop lying! You are not okay at all! You're only managing to hide it because Shiro-chan's sick and Kimono-chan's distracted!" She barked at her other half and Starrk winced. Shunsui tilted his head to one side before he took a seat on the cushions across from Starrk.

"I'm not distracted now. Starrk-san, what is wrong?" He asked in a gentle tone, wishing Juushiro was there. He was better at this sort of thing. Starrk sighed before he pulled Lilinette against him. She tucked herself against his side, giving comfort to her other half.

"Hollows don't have many moral absolutes. We're cannibals by nature." Starrk said quietly and Shunsui nodded. "Yet, despite that, we have two taboos. The first is raping a child. Killing a child and eating them is acceptable, but a child rapist will be torn to pieces by other hollows without being eaten. For us, that is a gesture of absolute contempt." He explained and Shunsui glanced at Lilinette. She seemed to be just fine, however. "The second taboo has to do with… sexual positions." Starrk said softly and Shunsu blinked. That seemed like an odd thing to have a prohibition against. "Adjuchas are generally four legged. They mate from behind, like animals. Vasto lorde are more advanced so a rather strange custom has emerged… rapes and hollow Claims are always done from behind. Taking a hollow from the front during a Claim is simply not done." He explained and Shunsui was surprised by the revelation, although it explained a lot.

"That's why you always do the Claims from behind." He said and Starrk nodded, looking down. His face looked pinched, pained and Shunsui bit his lip as a reason occurred to him. "Aizen and Gin… did they…?"

"Yes." Starrk said before lifting his eyes. They grey that was usually warm or tired looked lifeless. "The first time, before he sent me your officers, was from behind. That was… not pleasant, but even I know that pain. After I refused to devour them they chained me on my back and they…" Starrk swallowed hard as Lilinette hugged him. Shunsui mentally cursed Aizen. For shinigami, the thought that sexual positions could mean so much was completely alien. But Aizen had gathered up an entire army of hollows, he certainly understood their ways. "It hurt." The Coyote sounded faint and in such pain. Shunsui moved instantly, putting his arms around the other man and cradling both him and Lilinette close. The Primera's other half didn't protest, just hugging him tighter. Starrk buried his face in the pink kimono. "I'm sorry." He said, his voice muffled.

"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for." Shunsui said, a touch puzzled. Starrk shook his head slightly.

"I have wronged you both." He repeated his earlier words and Shunsui blinked. "I – I didn't tell you. When you offered to… it meant so much to me, I was selfish. I didn't tell you what the gesture meant. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Shunsui's eyes softened as he understood what the Coyote as trying to say.

"Starrk, I didn't mean to declare my love for you." He said softly before kissing the Primera on the forehead. "And if you'd asked me then I would not have said I cared for you that much. But I do now. Please, don't blame yourself. Now, we need to make you better." That would be a long road. Many, many shinigami in his Division had suffered similar traumas and Shunsui knew it didn't just go away. It was odd to think of an arrancar suffering such a thing, they took brutality and rape for granted… but not like this. Aizen had known exactly how to hurt Starrk the most. "Do you want to see Unohana? She's very helpful." He suggested and Starrk snuffled quietly before pulling away a bit. Lilinette was still attached to his side like a barnacle.

"Would that be wise? She's claimed by Aizen." He said doubtfully and Shunsui frowned. Then he nodded.

"If she cannot maintain your confidentiality, she'll find someone else to see you." He said and Starrk looked dubious for a moment before nodding. "It might cut into your sleep time, though." He meant it as a joke but the Coyote just smiled sadly.

"I'm not sleeping as much anymore." He said and Shunsui winced. That was not a good thing. The Coyote didn't sleep so much because he was lazy, although most people thought so. Juushiro and Shunsui had been able to observe him and they had realized he was like a cat. He required a massive amount of sleep every day, twelve hours preferably. He could easily sleep up to sixteen. When he was deprived of it his performance suffered, badly. "I probably should. I don't want Aizen to find fault in my patrols." Starrk said with a sigh and Shunsui nodded sympathetically.

"I'll go speak to her." He promised as Lilinette disentangled herself from Starrk. "Try to get some sleep." The Coyote wasn't being given any time away from his duties. Starrk nodded tiredly before settling down onto his pillows and closing his eyes. Shunsui stayed with him until his breathing evened into true sleep. Hollows liked to have someone sleeping with them, it made them feel safer.

He would do everything he could to help the surprisingly sweet arrancar who had Claimed them.


	10. Redecorating the Garden

Ichigo was reading his kido book in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. Looking up, he frowned slightly. Grimmjow hadn't let him leave the house today but he hadn't mentioned anything about a delivery. But who else would knock on the door of an Espada? Curious, he got up to answer.

"Renji!" He exclaimed as he opened the door and saw a very familiar face, grinning at him. "What are you doing here? Come in!" Grimmjow was out for the day doing something. "I don't know when Grimm will be back." He said, a touch worried as Renji stepped inside. The redhead just laughed.

"Don't worry about him! He gave me permission to come see you. It was supposed to be a surprise." He said cheerfully and Ichigo blinked, then smiled as he realized why Grimmjow hadn't given him permission to leave the house today. He'd wanted Ichigo to be there when Renji showed up. "Are your sisters around?" He asked, glancing around and Ichigo noticed there was something odd about his eyes. But he was too happy to care.

"No, they've gone to play basketball in the park." There was a nearby park that had a nice little basketball court. It wasn't her game of choice, but Karin was missing soccer. "Hey, how'd you know about my sisters? Oh, did Grimmjow tell you?" That was the only thing that made sense. Renji nodded.

"He's a jackass but he's talkative. How's he been treating you?" Renji sounded concerned and Ichigo shrugged. He really didn't want to talk about it.

"It could be worse. How have you been?" He asked, noticing that strange white dust on Renji's eyes again. "Are you okay?" He asked and Renji grimaced, reaching up to rub his eyes.

"I'm a hell of a lot better now that Szayel can't do things to me." He said frankly and Ichigo winced. "Unohana says I should get my eyesight back, though. So it could be worse. Uryu's fine, he's that freaks personal lab assistant along with Nemu."

"That's good anyway." Ichigo was relieved to hear that. Grimmjow had a few things to say about Szayel and they weren't nice. But if Uryu was a lab assistant he'd probably be fine.

They chatted for a while, which was very pleasant, then went out to look at the garden. Ichigo smiled as he raided the fridge and brought out some tea cakes Yuzu had made. Renji tucked into them with good appetite and he was reminded of how his friend had always been starving, when he'd been staying in the Living world. The memory was bittersweet now but he was still enjoying the visit. Then they got to a slightly touchy subject.

"What! No way! You, learning kido?!" Renji laughed and Ichigo glowered at him. He sounded like he couldn't believe it.

"I'm not all brute force, you know." He groused good naturedly and Renji shook his head with a grin. "Oi! Do you think I'll blow up the house?"

"Not if Ukitake got you the books. But how are they training you? People with as much power as you have… well…" Renji shrugged then grinned again. "Yeah, you'd blow up the house." Ichigo groaned and fished out the bracelets. He had them in his pocket.

"Grimmjow had these made for me, they're reiatsu limiters. Why don't I show you how they work?" He was actually pretty eager to show off his new skills to Renji. "I bet I'm better than you, red nose." That reminder of his mistake in Hueco Mundo made his friend scowl.

"You're on strawberry! Bring it!" He jumped up and took a spot on the lawn as Ichigo pulled on the bracelets. But he forgot to check them and didn't notice that three of the lights were dark, when it was usually just one.

* * *

Grimmjow was hanging out on a nearby wall, eating an ice cream comb when he heard a loud _thwump._

Hanging out with Starrk had proved to be impossible. To his shock, the Coyote wasn't home. Apparently he was visiting the 4th for something and Grimmjow had a fairly good idea of what. It made him a little depressed. If Aizen tried to pull that shit on him, well, he wasn't sure what he would do.

So instead he'd gone wandering, using his chit to sample all kinds of random stuff. The chocolate covered eels on a stick had been peculiar. The wasabi flavored peas had been pretty good, but very hot. His favorite, though, had been the beef bowl. That thing had come with a savory but not spicy sauce that he'd really appreciated.

Now, though, he was close to home and something weird had just happened. Glancing around with a frown he saw a rising cloud of smoke. Had there been another bombing? Then he stiffened as something occurred to him. His house was the only thing worth bombing in this section of the Seireitei. Leaping off the wall he used sonido, reaching through his Claim as he did. All he got from Ichigo was a sense of shock but at least that meant the teen was alive.

To his relief, the house was standing when he arrived. Yet, the smoke was definitely coming from somewhere close. Grimmjow vaulted over the gate to the garden and stopped dead as he saw the backyard.

"Holy shit." The Espada said mildly as he looked over the rubble. There was a gigantic crater and most of the flower beds had been obliterated, along with the water feature. That had been reduced to kindling and was scattered everywhere. Some of the bits were still on fire. "I liked that fountain thing." He complained to no one. The two shinigami in the crater were in no condition to hear him. "What the fuck happened?" He didn't get an answer, not that he'd been expecting one. Shrugging to himself, Grimmjow went to retrieve the two idiots.

They were both a bit scorched around the edges but otherwise unharmed. Apparently, whatever kido had exploded had spent most of its power on the surroundings, rendering the two of them unconscious. Grimmjow carried in Red first, putting him onto the couch. Then he went back for Ichigo. When he lifted the teen up he quickly spotted the problem. Three of the crystals on his bracelets were dark. He'd been at a quarter power.

"Idiot! When you wake up I'm gonna make fun of your sorry ass." Grimmjow told the shinigami he had slung over his shoulder. "And stop drooling on me!" Ichigo was really out of it and Grimmjow batted at him with a growl, hoping to stop the line of drool going down his back. It didn't help much. "Shit!" Huffing to himself he got his pet inside and into bed, stripping off the badly tattered shinigami robes. Searching around, he found a spare blanket and covered up Renji. Chuckling to himself, he went to go take another look at the backyard. Some of the wreckage was still smoldering so Grimmjow grunted and went inside, getting a bit pitcher of water and filling it. A hose would have been better but that was toast. A little girl from the neighboring house was peeking over the fence, her eyes wide. Grimmjow favored her with a grin and she vanished with a squeak. Laughing, he began to gather up the wood splinters and threw them into a pile.

Cleaning this up would be Ichigo's job, but he'd help out a bit.

* * *

"Nnngh." Ichigo stirred, feeling very tired. "Unh, what happened?" He was in bed. When had he gone to bed? There was sunlight on his face, it wasn't that late. His head was hurting, though. Why did he have such a headache?

"Oi, shinigami!" Ichigo winced and put a hand to his head as Grimmjow barged into the room. The door hit the wall with a bang and aggravated his head. "How are you feeling? Still alive?"

"Please, can you keep it down?" He pleaded as Grimmjow grinned at him. The Espada seemed very amused about something. "Did you get me drunk?" Ichigo asked, suddenly suspicious. Grimmjow laughed.

"Are you kidding? It's two in the afternoon! What's the last thing you remember?" He asked and Ichigo blinked as he tried to recall. What had he been doing…?

"I… was talking to Renji." He said slowly as the recent past slowly came back to him. "We talked… wait… we went to the backyard to try our kido?!" He tried to sit up and groaned as his head whirled. There was a hand on his shoulder then, steadying him.

"Yeah, you redecorated the backyard really good. Your sisters got home and Karin just about pissed herself, she was laughing so hard. Yuzu's kinda upset though, she liked that fountain thing. So did I." Grimmjow said but he seemed more amused than upset. Ichigo stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. "C'mon, want to see?" Ichigo swallowed hard and nodded.

"Please." He needed to see what he'd done. Grimmjow grinned, taking his arm and helping him up. Ichigo leaned on him, feeling completely drained. Was this normal after using kido?

Then he got to see the backyard and stared, his eyes going wide. It was… impressive. Very, very impressive. His sisters were out there, cleaning up some of the scattered bits and pieces. Ichigo felt faint as he thought about how much hard work he'd destroyed in one moment of pure carelessness. And he'd liked the water feature, too. But how had this happened? How had the reiatsu limiters failed?

"You had the bracelets on the wrong setting, dumbass." Grimmjow said and his gaze snapped over to the Espada. He was still grinning. "Three stones off is too much for you right now. Nice work though, I'm looking forward to fighting you when you have a grip on this." He glanced over the wreckage and laughed. "Right now, you're just a goddamned menace."

"You're not upset?" Ichigo said tentatively. If he'd done something like this to his dad's house, well… of course he would have been upset. He would probably have been working in the clinic for months, trying to 'pay back' the damages. So why wasn't the tempermental Espada angry about this? Grimmjow shrugged.

"All the new shit will cost a bit, but whatever, we can replace it slowly." He said, then grinned. "And you get to do all the work, shinigami. I might help out a little but the gardening? That's all yours." He said and Karin suddenly noticed them standing there.

"Oi, Ichi-nii! You and Red can't hang out anymore, you're too destructive!" She called and Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "Is he awake yet? I want to yell at him!"

"Nah, he's asleep, lazy bastard!" Grimmjow called back and Karin actually smiled at him. That honestly made Ichigo feel good. It was hard when there was so much tension in the house, even if it was all directed at the Espada.

"Can we get another water wheel Grimmjow-kun? I really liked it!" Yuzu sounded very saddened by the loss and Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah, we can get another one. If we can find one anyway. And if we can't I'm sure we can find some good shit. Maybe we could have a pond put in?" He said and soon the girls were discussing what they could do with the garden, since it had been reduced to a blank slate. "You want to go back to bed?" Grimmjow asked him in a low tone and Ichigo shook his head, letting go of the arrancar.

"No, I'm fine." His head was clearing and there was a lot of work to be done. Fortunately, the fences and part of the furthest bit of the garden had survived, but there was still torn up flower beds everywhere. "Could you check on Renji?" Ichigo said, suddenly worried. "He's okay, isn't he?" He hadn't hurt Renji, had he? Although Karin and Yuzu seemed too upbeat for that. Grimmjow snorted.

"Hell no! He's snoring like a lumberjack. I'll go kick him awake, he's slept enough." He said before going inside. Ichigo was just going to work as he heard a far off yelp and he snorted as he began adding garbage to the already huge pile.

It seemed Grimmjow had meant that literally.

* * *

"What do you mean, not tonight?" Grimmjow growled, his hand on Ichigo's knee. The teen swallowed hard at the anger in that rough, sexy voice. But no matter how sexy it was, he really didn't want to do this tonight.

"I mean not tonight." Ichigo said more bravely than he felt. But he couldn't do this tonight, he just couldn't. "Not penetration. We can do something else." He added, a touch desperately. That made Grimmjow go from pissed to pissed but slightly curious.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you want my dick in your ass, shinigami? What seems to be the problem?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo couldn't help but blush as he looked down.

"I – I have diarrhea, okay?!" He burst out and Grimmjow's eyebrows shot for his hairline. The arrancar looked stumped for a moment before he slowly began to chuckle. "It's not funny!"

"It's fucking hilarious." Grimmjow purred before gently touching his chin and Ichigo felt a stirring of desire as the arrancar lifted his chin, their eyes meeting. "Okay. I wouldn't want you to dump on load on the bed, that would just be shitty." He said it so completely deadpan that Ichigo almost missed what he'd done there. Then his eyes went wide as he got the joke and he choked.

"Grimm!" He burst into laughter as the Espada grinned. "That is awful." He said severely when he'd regained his breath and the grin widened.

"Ya think? I thought it was pretty good. Love to hear you laugh…" Grimmjow was on him then, their lips meeting in a warm, searching kiss. A heavy hand encircled his cock, teasing him erect and Ichigo closed his eyes, just enjoying it as Grimmjow stroked them together. "You don't mind if we're face to face for this? I want to feel your dick." Grimmjow purred and Ichigo gasped as he became almost painfully hard. He was really starting to get off on this dirty talk.

"That's fine." He murmured and Grimmjow nodded. For this kind of contact, face to face was sort of a grey area for hollows. They weren't going all the way so it didn't really count as the mating position but Grimmjow still felt that he needed permission. It was kind of strange… the only control a 'pet' really had was if they would or would not permit the mate position. Of course, for real hollows it never came up. Taking the mate position invited a return Claim, but shinigami couldn't do that. For them, it was different.

Ichigo lost any thoughts of mating customs as Grimmjow pulled back for a moment. He groaned softly, opening his eyes to see that the arrancar was getting out a bottle of scented oil. He squirted it onto his hands, rubbing them together for a moment to warm it. Then he was back on the bed and Ichigo's breath speeded in anticipation as Grimmjow took his cock in his hand a second time. The friction was better with the oil, slick and easy and delicious. He arched slightly, biting his lip as Grimmjow bit his throat. The mild pain made the sensations better and Ichigo let himself surrender to it.

He still held back any sounds, but he was starting to wonder why. What good did it do, trying to hide how Grimmjow was affecting him? The arrancar knew. Even when he was taken from behind, Grimmjow saw a bit of his face, saw his struggle not to reveal the pleasure he was feeling. He liked it, he wanted it, so why was Ichigo giving him what he wanted? For his pride? As the pleasure mounted he let out a breathy moan before controlling himself. But Grimmjow heard and laughed.

"Are you giving up, Ichigo? Admitting you like my cock?" That sinful voice spoke in his ear and Ichigo blushed, unable to stop it. "Aw, you're turning red, how cute."

"Sh-shut it you asshole!" Ichigo snapped back then gasped as that warm hand kept jerking them both off. The feeling of that hard length beside his, the throbbing pleasure and the tension that was building in his balls… it was really good. He couldn't deny it. "Unh…" He let his head fall back, swallowing hard. Grimmjow growled and Ichigo looked up, meeting those feral blue eyes.

"Shit that is so sexy." Grimmjow sounded like he was losing his mind and Ichigo wasn't far behind. That tone sent a jolt of heat to his groin and he gasped, gripping Grimmjow's arms and digging his fingers into the hierro hardened skin. The arrancar wouldn't feel much but it helped ground him, held him back. "Cum for me, Ichigo." That warm purr took him over the end and Ichigo jerked, his body spasming as he coated the arrancar's hand with streams of creamy cum. Then Grimmjow released with a roar, his release joining Ichigo's on his belly. For a moment, he felt tired and comfortable despite the sticky mess. Then his stomach grumbled and Ichigo grimaced.

"I need to go to the bathroom." He said and Grimmjow nodded before sliding away. Ichigo pushed himself up as the arrancar watched him. Ichigo could feel those warm eyes examining his body but for some reason, it didn't bother him too much. Maybe it was because Grimmjow had listened to him and respected his needs.

Of course, maybe he'd just been concerned about the sheets. Dumping a load in them _would_ be shitty. That thought brought a smile to his face and Ichigo went to the bathroom to clean up and take care of his problem with good cheer.

Hopefully this intestinal upset would be over soon.

* * *

"You okay?" Grimmjow gently stroked his pets' forehead, frowning at the sweat in that orange hair. Ichigo nodded slightly, those brown eyes closed.

"Yeah… feeling a little better…" He murmured as Grimmjow snuggled up against his side. There was nothing sexual in it. No, this was the kind of thing a pack did, sharing body heat and comfort in the cold desert. Hollows very rarely got sick but it did happen and when it did, it was usually pretty damned serious. So he was worried.

It had started with that diarrhea but it hadn't ended there. No, things had quickly gotten worse and Ichigo was feeling like complete shit now. Grimmjow had been worried enough to take him to the 4th today and they'd diagnosed a bacterial infection, probably from bad food. Ichigo had eaten some crap at a festival and they were all pretty sure that was where he'd gotten it. Karin hadn't caught anything but Yuzu had come down with a milder case. They had shared stuff back and forth so maybe Ichigo had given her a piece of something unsavory.

Whatever it was, it was lingering and Ichigo had a fever now. He was also throwing up very regularly and his sisters were doing everything they could to keep liquids in him. If it got much worse, he might have to go back to the 4th for dehydration. But everyone thought he would pull through just fine. There was nothing life threatening yet, just very unpleasant. The nausea in particular was making Ichigo wish for death. Grimmjow would have called him a pussy, but he could vividly remember a similar attack he'd suffered through as a living man. He'd been tough, but puking and shitting all the time had made him long for death a few times.

"Want some broth?" He asked and it took a while, but Ichigo finally nodded slightly. "I'll go get you some." Yuzu had homemade chicken broth in the fridge. She'd started it as soon as she'd realized Ichigo was sick. Now it was ready to be reheated at any time and it was easy to keep down. Grimmjow slid out of bed and went to see what the girls were up to.

"Oh Grimmjow-kun, how is Ichi-nii?" Yuzu immediately asked when she saw him and he grunted, making a see-saw gesture with his hand.

"Not great. He's willing to try to eat, though." He said and she nodded, a bit of relief flashing through her eyes. Karin was sitting at the kitchen table and sipping on her tea, looking quietly depressed. "Got some more of that broth?"

"Of course Grimmjow-kun!" Yuzu said and quickly went to get it. Karin sighed and Grimmjow had a feeling that her sister's effort to be cheerful was starting to wear on her. Things just weren't that cheerful at the moment.

"You're going to work tomorrow, right?" She asked and Grimmjow nodded. He'd taken three days off already. He couldn't spare anymore and Renji really did need him. His eyesight was almost back but he still had that huge backlog of paperwork and he'd finally decided that the tragic fire idea wasn't the way to go. Instead he'd asked Grimmjow if there was any way he could get more help, until things were fully up to date. He'd taken it to Gin and he'd stolen a couple shinigami from Szayel and Unohana. They had the Divisions that were doing best, they could afford to hand over a few seated officers for a while. Grimmjow's effort was still required, though. Some things had to be filled out by a taichou or fukutaichou and Grimmjow was effectively filling the fukutaichou spot since Rangiku kept losing the paperwork. Only for paperwork, though. Rangiku definitely knew how to lead the troops although Grimmjow suspected they were following her to watch her hips.

"Can't stay any longer, Red needs me." He said and Karin nodded, giving him a small frown before she sipped her tea again. "You take care of him good, got it?"

"Of course. We're his sisters, you fucking rapist." She growled and there was a horrified gasp from the kitchen. Grimmjow just laughed.

"You keep saying that like it's an insult. Even female hollows can and do force each other, girl." He said and she blinked, her expression going blank as she tried to figure that out. Grimmjow wasn't about to explain the technicalities of it so he took the bowl of soup from a pale, unhappy Yuzu. Going back to the room he saw Ichigo was dozing. He woke him up with a gentle hand on his shoulder and Ichigo sat up, taking the bowl with shaking hands. Grimmjow gently put an arm around him, watching as he slowly spooned in the soup. It was very plain and bland, which suited Ichigo just fine at the moment. He had to pause several times to swallow hard and Grimmjow gently rubbed his lower back, trying to lend comfort. Ichigo looked up from his food with a small smile and to Grimmjow, it was dazzling. Why was Ichigo so captivating when he smiled?

He still didn't know. It was all a mystery to him.

* * *

The summons came through the Claim completely unexpectedly.

It had been over a week since Starrk had started his treatment with Unohana and it was really going quite well. Probably because hollows were rather dulled to trauma, or maybe because of the Coyote's easygoing disposition, but either way he was recovering quickly. They had made love as a threesome just the previous night and Starrk had allowed Shunsui to take him from the front. Juushiro had been so happy to see them both enjoying themselves, and Starrk's tears afterwards had been of relief and happiness.

The last thing he was expecting in the middle of his day, when Starrk should be completely asleep, was a hard jerk on his Claim. Juushiro gasped and his 3rd seat looked at him questioningly before he flash stepped away. The urgency behind the pull didn't allow him time to explain and Juushiro didn't even want to. Something was very badly wrong.

When he got back to his house he was shocked and horrified to find there was a large amount of wreckage and the building was on fire. Starrk had stumbled out and was only mildly singed. Juushiro stopped in front of him and the Claim immediately eased.

"Your bankai – " The Coyote started and Juushiro nodded, immediately understanding why he'd been called. He quickly released his sword and used the waters to douse the fire. "Why?" Starrk sounded perplexed and Juushiro blinked at him before asking what was on his mind.

"What happened?" He asked as arrancar and shinigami began to converge on the devastation. Mostly shinigami from his unit, including his third seat. She looked at the devastation in shock as Starrk reached up and rubbed his forehead.

"I was asleep. A strange man suddenly came into the room and screamed something about arrancar before he… why?" Starrk sounded lost and a bit sad. "I find it rather hurtful that someone would try to kill me without even knowing my name." He said and Juushiro couldn't help but smile, although it wasn't the least bit funny.

"I'm sure he knew your name. Everyone does." The Coyote was well known… but so was his reputation for being a mild, gentle sort for an arrancar. Juushiro doubted that had come into play for the victim selection, though. "…My house was too open." He'd known that but had ignored it, trusting in the fact that he and Shunsui were still respected to protect Starrk. "We should move." Juushiro muttered before sighing softly. He really didn't want to do that. This had been his family home and his sisters really couldn't come back. The Rukongai was actually safer, so he would either have to rent it out or sell it. Then he tossed aside those concerns as something occurred to him. "Mia, Lilinette and Kinomi. Were they…?" He asked but Starrk shook his head.

"No, Mia took them all to a museum. I wonder. Was he waiting for them to leave?" Starrk asked and sighed, looking over the damage. "I can almost respect that. But maybe it was just chance. We'll never know." He ran a hand through his hair again, raising little puffs of soot. "All I have is a few blisters and what will Aizen do?" He asked and Juushiro's stomach clenched at the thought. An attack on his Primera… Aizen wouldn't be able to ignore that. "What was the point?" The Coyote sounded so sad. Juushiro just looked at the smoldering remains of his family home and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I don't know Starrk. I really don't know." He said softly. They all wished the arrancar would go away, but they couldn't. Even if they wanted to, Aizen would hold them there. The resistance was as useless as it was futile. But the hatred and pain were too much and the people would strike back anyway they could… and in so doing invite more retaliation. It seemed like an endless cycle. Juushiro almost wished they could give up just so it would end. A hand gently touched his shoulder and Juushiro looked into concerned grey eyes.

"We should go report to Barragan and Ulquiorra." Starrk suggested and Juushiro nodded sadly. They were in charge of the secret forces, now, and helped Aizen rule the Seireitei with an iron fist. He could see several of their arrancar combing through the damage already but a report would be necessary. And it was better to do it quickly. Tardiness could look suspicious. They both left the scene of the crime and Juushiro hoped, violently, that this time there would be no massacres. Starrk had come through perfectly fine so there was at least a chance.

They would just have to see.


	11. Mouths to Feed

"You want me to do what now?" Grimmjow looked at him in disbelief, cleaning one ear out with his pinky. Ichigo took his courage into his hands and continued, moving closer to the Espada. They were outside, having a private conversation as his sisters ate breakfast.

"I want you to enroll my sisters in a local academy. I have a list." He said, determined. He'd already done his homework. Apparently, things were pretty quiet in the Seireitei right now but dangerous in some of the Rukongai, so he'd been forbidden to go there. But Ichigo hadn't wanted to anyway, not with this idea on his mind. Finding out all the information about five different schools, including their tuition fees, uniforms and schedules had taken a long time. Grimmjow was still looking at him like he was insane.

"An academy? That shit is for nobles!" He protested and Ichigo blinked, suddenly wondering. When had Grimmjow died? What had his life been like? "And girls? They take girls? I've never heard of shit like that…"

"Of course they take girls. You've probably seen some of the girls going to them, they wear uniforms." He offered Grimmjow the brochures he'd picked up and the arrancar took them with a bemused expression. "Things have changed a bit, you know. And shinigami can be women." Ichigo was fairly sure that was the only reason that the Seireitei had girls' academies. Soul Society wasn't exactly noted for moving with the times, but the influence of female shinigami would have an effect. Women didn't have all the same rights as men, though. Grimmjow's next question pulled his mind away from the inequalities.

"Wait, I'd have to pay for this? Shit, it's expensive!" Grimmjow had found the bottom line and Ichigo winced to himself before he felt his resolve hardening. Yes, it was a lot of money but he was going to get this. "I can't afford this!"

"I need this Grimm, I really need this." Ichigo rested his hand on the Espada's arm and blue eyes snapped up to look at him. "I'll do… anything…" He tried to imitate the arrancar's bedroom voice and from the way Grimmjow's eyes widened, it was working. But then the Espada took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Look, Ichigo, I don't care if your sisters go to school or not. If that's how people do things now, fine. But I don't have enough money." His voice was firm and Ichigo frowned. "Look, I keep track really close. You want to see my budget?"

"I… what?" Apparently even after well over a year of living together, Grimmjow could still surprise him. He would never have guessed the arrancar kept a budget. The Espada grunted before going back inside to fetch it. He came outside with a rather ratty notebook and tossed it to him. Ichigo frowned as he opened it and turned to a random page. His frown deepened as he saw the amount Grimmjow started the month with. It wasn't bad, but it was clearly an amount designed to keep a bachelor man in relative comfort with a small cushion for frivolous things. To his surprise, Ichigo saw that Grimmjow was actually putting away a bit of money every month under two categories… stuff and repairs. Although they were both empty now, used up to fix the backyard. Flipping through the months he realized the food budget had gone up a lot when Karin and Yuzu had joined them, but Grimmjow's 'salary' hadn't increased. Maybe…

"You know, you should ask someone to increase your allowance." He said slowly and Grimmjow frowned. "I bet the ones with fraccion get paid more than this."

"Fraccion get their own allowances. But I think some of them do get more." Grimmjow rubbed his thumb along the edge of his mask fragment, then scowled. "I'd have to talk to Tosen. That fucker doesn't like me. But he's a goddamned bookworm… which of these schools were you thinking about?" He asked and Ichigo hesitated a moment before picking up one brochure.

"This one. It's the closest, they could easily walk and it's one of the best, quality wise. But it's not the cheapest." He warned as Grimmjow flipped through the thing and winced at the bottom line. But the Espada shrugged.

"I can't afford any of 'em and if I get Tosen to fund this, might as well go for the best." He tucked the pamphlet into the pocket of his hakama. "I'll see when I can get in to see him, might take a week, he's really fucking busy with this new shit going down." New shit? Ichigo almost asked before thinking better of it. It hurt but after the news about the square, he'd realized it was actually better not to know. There was nothing he could do for anyone else… but he could still help his sisters. "Oh shit! Are they going to need dowries?" Grimmjow sounded so panicked that Ichigo burst into laughter.

"Grimm! They're not getting married tomorrow!" He said merrily as the Espada's expression indicated he wasn't amused. "We don't really do dowries much in the Living world. I'll have to look up Soul Societies customs on that." Because Yuzu probably would want to get married. Karin though… "Karin will probably want to be a shinigami." She was powerful enough for it and if she did that, she wouldn't be getting married anytime soon. Grimmjow looked slightly relieved.

"Okay. Shit, kids are a lot of work. I'd forgotten." He complained then blinked as Ichigo smiled and gripped the edges of the Espada's jacket. "Huh?" Then blue eyes went wide as Ichigo kissed him. Grimmjow was shocked for a moment but quickly responded, wrapping his arms around his pet. "You know, I haven't managed this yet…" He said as they parted and Ichigo nodded before nuzzling him.

"I know. But you're going to try." That was all he could ask. If Tosen said no, it wouldn't be Grimmjow's fault. "Do you want your reward now, or later?" He said, making his voice as insinuating as he could. It really wasn't that easy… Grimmjow chuckled warmly, kissing him again.

"You need to work on your seductive shit. But I'll take it now, Red doesn't get up that early anyway." Ichigo smiled, feeling almost giddy as Grimmjow drew him inside. Vaguely, he realized this was the very first time he'd initiated sex with the Espada. It felt… good. He really wasn't sure why.

Maybe he'd figure it out someday.

* * *

"Holy shit. This is beautiful." Grimmjow said in awe and Ichigo smiled widely. He honestly loved the reaction.

"How did you get the pond Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked, every bit as awed as Grimmjow.

They were looking at the new garden. It had taken over a month of work and for the last couple weeks he'd been very, very busy. The result was absolutely gorgeous. There were little paths of grey stone and large flower beds surrounded by natural stones. In the middle was a water feature, a rather gorgeous pond. He couldn't exactly call it a koi pond – the backyard wasn't big enough for a proper Japanese garden so he'd gone for a more casual style – but it was very pretty. There was a fake waterfall feeding into it. He'd also put in a few bonsai trees, although keeping them trimmed would be difficult. Still, right now, it was gorgeous.

"I had to spend a bit." Ichigo admitted. "That guy who came by last week put it in." That had been expensive but he'd managed to save a bit from Grimmjow's budget. The real problem had been finding someone willing to come anywhere near an Espada's house. That was a common problem, though. Grimmjow had dealt with it already when the roof started to leak.

"It's really nice. I'll definitely do my homework out here." Karin said and Ichigo impulsively hugged her. "Ow! Hey, what the hell?"

"Nothing. Just feeling good." It made him feel great, hearing her talking about homework. It had taken a solid week for Grimmjow to get in with Tosen, but he'd brought his budget as well as the pamphlet. Tosen had immediately been in favor of sending the girls to school and apparently, he'd been just as surprised as Ichigo by Grimmjow's money management skills. The Espada has actually been given a raise to accommodate the increased food and other expenses. His sisters had been wearing cheap, second hand clothing but now they need uniforms, notebooks and other things that came out of Grimmjow's pocket. Fortunately, the Espada didn't mind and with the small increase in salary he could afford it.

"I like the barbecue. I can totally use this." Grimmjow said approvingly and Ichigo smiled as he let go of Karin. The barbecue was a very simple charcoal thing, the most practical type in Soul Society. Grimmjow could ignite the charcoal with a tiny cero and he enjoyed grilling meat. "Just don't blow this up."

"Oh, come on! It was an accident." Ichigo protested and Grimmjow grinned at him as Yuzu laughed. Even Karin smiled and Ichigo resigned himself to another thing he would never be allowed to live down. "Oi. What's for supper?"

"Pizza! I made it from scratch!" Yuzu said happily then looked at her watch. "Oh, it should be almost done!" She bolted into the house and they all followed. Yuzu made excellent pizzas, she even had a well-seasoned pizza rock. Soon they were all digging in and Ichigo laughed as Grimmjow managed to make the longest mozzarella string he'd ever seen. The Espada sucked it up before biting into the pizza a second time and brown eyes met smoldering blue for a moment. Ichigo blushed as he felt the heat in that gaze and turned his attention to his pizza. It was pepperoni and cheese with olives, his favorite.

That night, Ichigo got up the courage to ask for something he'd been thinking about for a while. He wasn't sure Grimm would even consider it, but he was having a crisis. He really thought he was gay but… he wanted to be absolutely sure. And Ichigo was fairly sure that Grimmjow wouldn't want him straying. So he posed his question and watched as the Espada looked at him like he was completely insane.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to be a woman for you?" He asked and Ichigo blushed as he nodded. "So you can see if you're gay? Or is this just for science? What does a vagina feel like?"

"Grimm!" Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at that. "I want to see if I'm gay." He admitted and Grimmjow grinned.

"Take my word for it, you're queer. But…" Grimmjow tilted his head back, clearly thinking about it. "You know, I'd kind of like to know how it feels for a woman. Okay. But you better make this good shinigami." He warned and Ichigo blinked before biting his lip. Could he give a woman a good time? But then Grimmjow was sitting on the bed, his eyes closed as he took on an expression of calm. Then 'female' Grimmjow was sitting in front of him and Ichigo paused to examine 'her' for a moment.

She really was gorgeous. She was wonderfully muscled, reminding him of how Grimmjow looked as a man. But there was a cushion of body fat, enough to give her nice curves and pretty, well-formed breasts. Long blue hair fell down her back, framing a fine boned face that had a feral kind of beauty. Grimmjow took a deep breath and stripped 'her' jacket away, letting it fall to the floor. The hakama followed and Ichigo swallowed, reaching for her. He hesitated, trailing his fingers over those breasts as Grimmjow watched him curiously. This was his first time with a woman, even if it was Grimmjow. What would it be like?

"Oi, you're scared to death." Grimmjow observed and Ichigo blushed. "Let me take control." He… she said and Ichigo nodded, almost relieved. "I'll ride you – huh?" Ichigo caught her hand and swallowed as he met blue eyes.

"Okay, but from the front. I want to see…" He was afraid that if Grimmjow rode him in the reversed position, it would be too similar to a man. The Espada looked very surprised for a moment and Ichigo knew why. That was the mate position. But then Grimmjow grinned.

"You want to see my boobs bounce, don't you?" She asked, highly entertained. Ichigo wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment. It felt like he was going that way. "If you're okay with it. Now…" A warm hand encircled his limp dick and Ichigo began to explore Grimmjow's curves, cupping those lovely breasts and running his thumbs over the dusky nipples.

It felt strange. Grimmjow's hand felt good and soon he was erect, but Ichigo found he wasn't really getting into it, not the way he did when Grimmjow was a man. That thought left him as Grimmjow spoke, her voice slightly breathy.

"Hey. Touch me here… like this…" The Espada gripped his wrist and pulled his hand down, bringing it to her sex. "See, that's the clit… uh, yeah, like that…" Ichigo smiled as he slowly stimulated that small nub of flesh before sliding a finger into Grimmjow's folds. That let him rub her clit with his thumb as he stimulated her inside. "Shit! Feels good…" The Espada was trembling slightly and Ichigo could see a fine shine of sweat on her body. Desire rose a bit more and he spoke in her ear.

"Are you ready?" He asked and Grimmjow hesitated a moment before nodding. He pulled his hand away and the Espada gripped his cock before impaling herself onto it in one smooth move. Ichigo gasped as he was suddenly enfolded in incredibly tight, wet heat. However, the look on Grimmjow's face wasn't pleasure.

"Ow! Fucking damn shit…" She growled and Ichigo blinked as he realized the Espada was a virgin as a woman. It sort of made sense, he'd never taken this form for this before. He bit his lip and held himself still, letting Grimmjow have time to adjust. "Uh… okay, I got this…" Grimmjow said before moving, raising herself up before going down. Ichigo gasped and responded, thrusting up into that clutching heat. He looked into that beautiful face, watched those full breasts bounce and felt…

He wasn't sure. This was good, Grimmjow felt good around him, but it wasn't… enough. It wasn't really kindling his desire. Strangely, that let him continue for longer then he might have otherwise. Normally Grimmjow made him cum first, but not tonight. Ichigo shuddered as he felt Grimmjow's insides clench around him, looked up into her face as she came. Her lips were peeled back in a feral snarl and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Ichigo wondered for a moment… was this how Grimmjow looked when he came?

Ichigo wasn't quite there, though. Grimmjow rested her hands on his chest and gasped as he gripped her hips, thrusting up faster and harder. But he just couldn't get there. He couldn't reach his completion and after a moment bright blue eyes opened and looked at him.

"Not working, shinigami?" Grimmjow sounded amused and Ichigo winced, closing his eyes as he tried to find his orgasm. "I think you need some help."

"What do you… mean… unh!" Ichigo gasped, his eyes going wide as Grimmjow moved. The Espada slid so she was facing away from him, reaching down. One hand caressed his balls as the other went for his opening and Ichigo arched as a wet finger breached him. "Grimmjow, shit…" He panted, gripping her hips and thrusting with sudden vigor as she explored inside him, finding his prostate and roughly massaging it. "Unh!" That sensation joined with the wet heat around his cock and Ichigo found himself cumming inside her. It felt good but it was also a huge relief. If he hadn't been able to finish, well, that would have been mortifying. He relaxed against the bedsheets then blinked as the meaning of this penetrated. "…I really am gay, aren't I?"

"Well, you did pretty well. But yeah, I think so." Grimmjow said as she slowly pulled away, a line of his cum trailing down her thigh. "That was interesting to try. Not gonna do it again." She said decisively before abruptly shifting back into a man. Ichigo tested his own feelings and found that he was relieved. "Having my hymen broken hurt like a bitch."

"It doesn't regenerate. I'm just pointing out." He added as Grimmjow glared at him. Then the Espada grinned.

"Yeah, women would be pissed as shit if it did. You know that paradise for warriors with booze and every renewing virginity? My wife heard about that once and she was like, paradise is just for men huh?" Grimmjow laughed and Ichigo smiled. Then the Espada was snuggling up beside him, running a hand down his sweaty chest. "It was nice seeing you like that. Want to see it again." His voice was full of heat and Ichigo swallowed before nodding.

"Maybe someday." He almost whispered, wondering why he was thinking about it. Was Grimmjow getting into his heart? Yes, he was. It was gradual and it had taken a long time but if the violent Espada died tomorrow, he would grieve. Sighing to himself, Ichigo closed his eyes and turned on his side, curling up beside his master.

Even if they were getting closer, he was still a pet.

* * *

Grimmjow scowled at the little thing in the crib and wondered where the hell things had gone wrong.

He was a warrior, a hunter. He lived to kill and eat. In the course of that, he'd devoured a few hollow cubs. And why not? They were tender, defenseless and a decent source of the power he craved. If the parents couldn't protect them he would damned well eat them. That was how the world worked.

It wasn't supposed to be how things went for shinigami but the world was cruel, sometimes. Grimmjow growled to himself as he glanced down at the mother of the squalling thing in the crib. She'd tried to stop him with a sword and he'd taken her out, assuming she was another warrior. A really shitty one, but incompetence got around. He'd only realized he was in a nursery after the bitch was dead.

"Why are there always fucking civilians?!" He growled, glaring at the child again. He wasn't sure if it was a boy or girl. It was damned noisy, though. Rubbing his forehead, the Espada tried to decide what to do.

He and the others were cleaning out a rebel nest in the Rukongai. Compared to the shit in the square, this was a surgical strike. This one building was some kind of headquarters, according to Ulquiorra. So he and Nnoitra had led the main attack while the bat led the teams that were handling the hidden exits. These people had put way too much faith in tunnels. It was going to be another massacre when they were done, but only the guilty were going to die.

Well, mostly. That brought his thoughts back to the squalling infant and Grimmjow sighed to himself. It hadn't been like this when he'd been alive. The brutal, corrupt tyranny his people had labored under had spawned plenty of rebels but they'd mostly been men like him, death heads with no family left to care about. Some of them had lovers, of course, but most were careful to avoid real entanglements. Men with families didn't usually join the rebels, no matter how bad things got. They did offer support, though. Atrocities tended to make rebel groups very popular, in Grimmjow's experience.

So he had no idea what to do with a damned baby. The simple option, of course, was to kill it. The thought made Grimmjow slightly queasy although he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because the shinigami pup wasn't good eating. Or maybe it was his vague recollections of the family he'd once had, the children he'd held in his arms. Hollow cubs weren't humanoid and he'd never felt anything for them, but human and shinigami babies were identical. Yeah, maybe that was it.

But if he didn't kill it what in hell could he do with it? Grimmjow grunted as he thought about it. In his day and age, orphanages were where infants went to die. It wasn't that bad in small towns – someone was usually nursing and willing to spare milk – but in cities, the nuns ran the orphanages and they never had enough money for goat's milk or wet nurses available. So they watered it down and when the tots starved, added them to the mass graves. Grimmjow was willing to bet the Rukongai was no different. Maybe the Seireitei was but would they just accept some random child from the Rukongai? Not likely. The Seireitei was reserved for citizens of the Seireitei.

Could he keep it? Maybe, but Grimmjow was ambivalent about the thought. Babies were messy, they woke you up all the time and they cost money. Also, it wasn't his. His instincts were pretty keen on his own offspring but someone else's, well… and this brat had no real reiatsu to speak of. Not that a baby would have much anyway but Grimmjow didn't think it was going to improve, if the mom was anything to go by. And were Ichigo and his sisters up for caring for a kid? This all seemed like an enormous hassle…

"Oi, Grimmjow! Where the fuck have you been?" Nnoitra barged through the already ruined door and Grimmjow scowled. "You missed some fun – hey, what the fuck is that?" He said as the infant screamed again.

"It's just a – NNOI!" Grimmjow couldn't react fast enough. He hadn't expected Nnoitra to slice the crib in half, silencing the screams with a brutal finality. "FUCK! I was thinking of doing something with that!" He complained, looking at the spreading pool of blood. Nnoitra gave him a look like he was insane.

"Like what? Don't tell me you were thinking of keeping the little fucker." Grimmjow's jaw tightened. He wasn't going to admit that was exactly what he'd been thinking, it did make him feel like a bit of a pansy. Nnoitra grinned. "Oi, you were! Just find a bitch to knock up, if you want a brat. Me, I think they're a waste of time but different strokes and all that shit."

"…Hmph. Whatever." Grimmjow muttered before turning away. What was done was done, he couldn't change it. "Let's go find some loot." They'd been given permission to take anything they found. Grimmjow was sure they wouldn't find much in this rathole, but he was willing to have a try.

He already had a family to take care of. He didn't need another mouth to feed.


	12. Breaking Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: There will eventually be serious trouble but it's going to take a while to show up, you'll see. ^_^ Also, I'm sick like Ichigo was. Kill me now, please.

Time passed by, as it tended to do.

Karin and Yuzu fit in well at the academy, although there were plenty of rumors about them among the girls there. The worst ones, of course, were that Grimmjow had Claimed them both. The girls just did their best to ignore it and gradually the talk seemed to vanish. Plenty of the girls were probably certain that Grimmjow did hurt them, but no one said it directly to their faces. The academy didn't have a soccer team but they did do baseball and Karin quickly joined, learning a new sport.

Halibel endured her pregnancy stoically, still participating in many things but avoiding outright battles. She finally gave birth, but none of the Espada were allowed to see it. Only Aizen was allowed that privilege, and that was largely because the Tercero couldn't stop him. He reported to all of them that Halibel's child was a girl named Shimonami, which meant frosty wave. He also told them, with a smile, that the little girl had her father's hair. That was more depressing than anything for the shinigami in the audience.

The birth of Halibel's child got Grimmjow thinking, though. He'd really like a brat of his own. He was secure in his position and his power. While more power would be nice, the arrancar wasn't even sure it was possible. Could he make vasto lorde now? Maybe if he ate Ichigo but that was so not happening. Pushing aside the thought, Grimmjow went back to his wistful urges. A pup, a cub, a child. He wanted one. How could he make that happen?

Stepping outside into the garden, he stuck his hands in his pockets and enjoyed the sunshine as he thought. It was a beautiful day, with nary a cloud in the sky. Grimmjow gazed up at that cerulean dome, the color that reminded him of his own eyes, and considered the matter.

He had several options. The first was Nnoitra's suggestion. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as the other Espada made out. If random shagging was all that was required for a half-breed, they'd be running all over the place by now. No, the reiatsu levels needed to be at least slightly close. That was why Halibel had gotten knocked up so fast. Hitsugaya had been damned near her equal, in terms of power.

But for him that posed a huge problem. The only female taichou was taken by Aizen and all the fukutaichou were sewn up. He could go looking among the seated officers, but there would be slim pickings. The numeros had probably grabbed any with even remotely acceptable reiatsu. And even if he found one, what then? Ichigo had been jealous of Starrk. It'd be a hundred times worse with a new Claim living in the house and sharing his bed.

Another option, though, was Karin. She was still a bit too young but in a few years, she would be grown. Then he could Claim her and put a kid into her. Of course, Ichigo would be pissed as hell. But one way or the other, Grimmjow was going to get what he wanted. Ichigo was still a damned pet, his opinions only mattered so far. The downside to this idea, though, was that Karin hated him and Grimmjow was honestly not that into her. His lusts were fixated on Ichigo.

The last option was most intriguing, although it would involve Szayel. Was there some way to make a child between the two of them? Science would be involved but that fruitloop loved a challenge. And he already owed the bastard a favor, he might as well add more. Szayel would see a secondary benefit… if he managed it, other Espada might want the same thing and then he could get plenty of people in his debt. Grimmjow could point that out. But he'd need samples from Ichigo. How would he feel about this? Grimmjow snorted to himself. Did it matter, when he really wanted something? Not really.

The first person he needed to talk to was Szayel, though. Whether or not he would follow that last option would depend a lot on him.

* * *

"You want me to do what, precisely?" Szayel put a finger in his ear, clearing it out as though he must have misheard. Grimmjow scowled at him.

"I want to have a kid with Ichigo. Can you make it happen?" He asked and Szayel suddenly beamed at him. It was exceedingly creepy. "What?"

"I was told you can assume a female form." Szayel said cheerfully and Grimmjow's eyes went wide. Was he suggesting…? "If you can maintain it long enough you might develop monthly cycles and then it would be a simple matter to conceive! Your reiatsu level may be lower than Ichigo's but you've been living with him for quite a while. I'm certain that – "

"Woah, wait, what the fuck?" Grimmjow interrupted him and Szayel pouted a bit at having his train of thought derailed. "I'm not carrying the fucking kid! Fuck, I'd have to be a woman for months!" He could only imagine how that would go down with the other Espada. Nnoitra's groping would only be the start of his trials. Szayel sighed.

"Well, I'm honestly not surprised." He reached up to adjust his glasses. "You're so ridiculously masculine. It's a shame, though. I wonder how long you can maintain that form? Would you revert back in times of stress or during sleep?" Szayel speculated and Grimmjow scowled.

"You know, if you're so fucking smart why can't you just do it yourself?" If he and Ulquiorra could assume a female form, why not Szayel? It was just a matter of pulling out the female souls, it didn't require strength. Szayel stopped, his eyes going wide. Then an insane grin crossed his face. "…Not in front of me. I don't want to see your feminine side." Grimmjow said firmly. He was pretty sure Szayel would make a pretty girl, which was creepy. "I'm looking for something scientific. Can you do it or not?" He asked and Szayel frowned, turning his attention back to the problem at hand.

"I believe so. It would have to be done carefully… I would need to use a donor egg and eradicate the female DNA before inseminating it with a spliced together mixture of yours." He said after a moment and Grimmjow frowned. This stuff was well beyond him. The scientific method had been around when he'd died, but he'd been a small town smith and part time clerk, then an armed rebel. His life hadn't prepared him for Szayel's jargon. "Such an involved process… there would be a high rate of failure. Then I would need to use an artificial womb or a surrogate mother. A surrogate might be better but it would have to be someone with sufficient reiryoku. Hmm… Nemu could fill that position." Szayel mused and Grimmjow wondered how she would feel about that. Although from what he'd heard, her former shinigami 'father' wouldn't have asked for her opinion either. "But I believe it could be done."

"And if you do it once, some of the others might want in on this." Grimmjow observed and Szayel looked intrigued. "Starrk would, I bet. Maybe Yammy would." That was sort of disgusting – what kind of child would Yammy spawn? – but Grimmjow had heard him bitching about how no women around here were powerful enough for him. He was in somewhat the same spot as Starrk, too strong for most of the survivors. "Just make sure it takes after the shinigami." He was good looking. Szayel waved that away.

"Just doing this will be difficult enough! I can hardly customize looks. I'll need you to give me semen samples and I'll also need some from Kurosaki." Szayel said and Grimmjow nodded. He'd been expecting that. "Let me fetch the sample container. Do you need visual stimulation as well? Because I believe some of the shinigami here have such things."

"Nah, I'll be good. I have an imagination and I know how to use it." Grimmjow said easily. He could wack off to the thought of Ichigo blowing him off. That long, tight throat closing down over his dick… yeah, that was so sweet. Szayel quickly found him the appropriate sample container and Grimmjow went to the bathroom to get his part of this done. Then he'd have to secure Ichigo's samples. It was tempting to just not tell him what it was for, but he'd be raising the thing. No, he'd have to talk to his pet.

That was going to be interesting.

* * *

"You want _what?_ " Ichigo stared at the arrancar in disbelief, hoping he'd misheard. Unfortunately, he hadn't.

"I want a kid." Grimmjow said patiently and Ichigo had a brief flashback to female Grimmjow. Was he suggesting…? "Szayel is willing to give it a try, splicing our… our… DPN? DTA?"

"DNA." Ichigo corrected, feeling faint.

"Oh yeah, that shit! Szayel's going to splice it together, put it in an egg and let Nemu hatch it." Grimmjow rubbed his ear as Ichigo swallowed. "I really don't understand this egg stuff, it's not like she's a chicken, but he says it will work." Normally that would have been hilarious… Grimmjow clearly had no idea how reproduction was actually accomplished… but not right now. "You'll have to raise it since I've got work and the girls have school. So I need some of your jizz."

"What? No!" Ichigo said, stung out of his shock by that. He wasn't a – a – a walking jizz container! Grimmjow scowled at him but Ichigo kept talking. "I'm not ready for a kid Grimmjow! They're a serious commitment! You can't just force this on me!" He said then regretted it as Grimmjow grinned.

"Want to bet, shinigami? You're a fucking pet, remember?" Ichigo looked away then gasped as his chin was caught in one heavy hand. His face was yanked back so he was looking into warm, satisfied blue eyes. "But you know, maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't force you into this. I can always go with my second plan." The way he said it… Ichigo shivered. He had a feeling he wouldn't like this.

"What second plan?" He asked warily and Grimmjow's grin became sharklike.

"I can just wait for your sister Karin to grow some tits." He purred and Ichigo stiffened in shock and horror. "She doesn't have as much reiatsu as you but she's got more than anyone left except the fukutaichou. It might take a while, but she'd take my seed in the end shinigami."

"You bastard." Ichigo breathed, feeling a hate he hadn't felt for quite a while. Things had been going so well that he'd almost forgotten what a selfish, vicious bastard Grimmjow could be. "You promised me you would keep them safe!" Grimmjow had said that. The Espada just shrugged.

"She'd be safe enough, Kurosaki. It's not like a Claim hurts, you know that." He said and Ichigo swallowed at the thought of one of his sisters being subjected to this. He simply couldn't let that happen. "And I want a kid. What I want, I get." Grimmjow sounded absolutely certain of that and Ichigo closed his eyes, the hate and helplessness snarling through him.

"…Fine." He finally said, hearing the rage and pain in his own voice. This was blackmail but he had no choice. He would do anything to protect Karin and Yuzu and Grimmjow knew it, damn him. "I'll… have a child with you." Ichigo looked up into satisfied eyes and a pleased grin and wanted to punch Grimmjow in the stomach. "You blackmailing bastard." He added and the Espada laughed.

"Turn around, Ichigo." Grimmjow's voice was like dark velvet, warm and sinful. Ichigo shivered, but mostly with rage as he turned around, facing the wall. "Pants down, bitch." Grimmjow growled in his ear and Ichigo swallowed his disgust and nausea before unbuckling his pants. He could hear Grimmjow getting something out and he was grimly certain it was the specimen container.

Then a hot hand was encircling his dick, stroking him upright. Ichigo bit his lip as he realized Grimmjow's hand was well lubed with oil. When had he gotten that out? But it eased the friction and made everything easier. The Espada always used oil… Ichigo gasped as a finger invaded his ass, stretching him out. For a moment he wiggled, trying to get away but there was a soft growl behind him and he forced himself to relax and accept the invasion. It was hard though. It was like they had gone back to the very first month, when he'd hated every moment of this…

Ichigo closed his eyes and bit his lip as Grimmjow slid into him, breaching his entrance with a quick, sharp push. It stung but no worse than usual. However, he felt the tears building behind his eyelids and suppressed them ruthlessly. He wouldn't show Grimmjow that weakness.

"Feels so good, doesn't it?" Grimmjow's voice was in his ear again, pure sin. Ichigo gasped as the Espada found his prostate, hitting that sensitive spot with unerring precision. "I love it when you laugh… when you smile…" Ichigo felt the tears building again. If that was how Grimmjow felt, why was he doing this? "But I love your rage almost as much." That dark voice purred in his ear and Ichigo had to hold back a moan as a heavy thumb teased his slit. The Espada was jerking him off, matching every thrust with a pull on his throbbing erection. "…I don't like it when you hurt." That was almost a whisper and Ichigo's eyes flared wide as he heard the odd note of pain in Grimmjow's voice.

"Then stop… hurting me…!" He gasped out and there was a brief pause behind him before the thrusts speeded up. "Unh!" Ichigo couldn't stop his body from responding, couldn't stop himself from enjoying the treatment. The lack of control made him feel sick, but there was simply nothing he could do.

There were no more words after that. Just the intense feeling of Grimmjow's cock inside his ass, the painful yet oh so pleasurable sensations the Espada was gifting him with. Ichigo clung to the wall, his knuckles going white as Grimmjow skillfully teased and tormented him, his body wilting under the sensations.

Grimmjow's breath was hot against the back of his neck and Ichigo was vaguely aware of something hard against his dick just before he came. Thick streams of cum coated Grimmjow's hand, easily filling the container and dripping down onto the floor. Ichigo panted softly as Grimmjow growled, speeding his thrusts for a moment before going still inside him. Ichigo closed his eyes as he felt the spreading heat, the too familiar sensation of Grimmjow's release. Ichigo leaned against the wall, gasping and trembling as he heard Grimmjow wipe off the bottle and cap it. Then there was a soft rustling and he looked up to see the Espada pulling up his pants. Their eyes met for a moment and Ichigo couldn't read much of anything in those cerulean orbs except, perhaps, a hint of regret.

"You can go to bed if you want." Grimmjow told him and Ichigo nodded, shakily reaching for his pants. They would be dirty if he pulled them up now, but that was hardly unusual. He would just throw them in the wash. As Grimmjow left he sagged against the wall and finally let himself cry.

He'd been a fool to think that the Espada really cared about him.

* * *

Grimmjow was in a bad mood and he knew exactly why.

It had been a week since he'd worked Ichigo over and gotten those samples to Szayel. He wasn't expecting any results for months, maybe years. This shit would take time, something the shinigami really should have thought of. He might be twenty before they saw any kind of success.

But things between him and his pet had changed. Grimmjow sighed as he thought about it, kicking his heels like a child. He was sitting on a wall again, just enjoying the sunny day. Or at least, he'd been trying to. It was hard with this problem squirming through his brain.

It was like he'd broken something between them, something small and fragile but very important. Ichigo didn't smile much anymore, didn't laugh. It reminded Grimmjow of how he'd been right at the very beginning, when the Claim was fresh and Ichigo was struggling to deal with his failure and the rapes. It kind of pissed Grimmjow off. He really wanted this, wanted a cub so bad it hurt. Couldn't Ichigo see how badly he wanted this? Didn't his feelings matter to the shinigami at all? Then he snorted at himself. Why should his feelings matter to Ichigo? He was just his Claimer. The teen was only a pet.

"So why the fuck is this bothering me?" He growled to himself, causing a young woman to glance up and go wide eyed before running away. Grimmjow hardly even noticed, he was too concentrated on his own problems. "Little bitch." The rampant feelings he was getting through the Claim were likely affecting him somehow. Concentrating on it now, he picked up that familiar miasma of depression. "Fuck!" That was enough. Jumping down from the wall he went home.

He was off work and it was the middle of the day. Ichigo was sitting on the couch, studying his kido book but Grimmjow could tell he wasn't really seeing it.

"Oi, shinigami." He said gruffly and Ichigo looked up, his brown eyes tired and lifeless. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He suddenly snapped and the shinigami blinked. "Fuck! I know you don't want a kid but damn it all to fuck, I do!" He reached down and yanked Ichigo to his feet, the kido book going flying, and wrapped his arms around the teens' waist. Brown eyes stared at him, shocked and stunned by the quick actions. "I'm the Claimer so my feelings are all that should matter." He growled and those brown eyes seemed to dim. "But even if I weren't, shouldn't my feeling matter anyway? Damn it, I WANT this." He tried to put all the longing, all the need into his voice. This was something he was dying to have. Seeing that baby had ignited a fire in him, reminded him of his lost children. He had to have one. Fire lit Ichigo's eyes a little and the shinigami scowled before shoving his shoulders.

"What about my feelings? Grimmjow, you threatened my sisters! You can't just expect me to forgive that!" Ichigo snapped back and Grimmjow's lips tightened. Honestly, he'd thought this would blow over, but it wasn't. "I hate you Grimm! I really fucking hate you! You don't care about me at all!" He said and Grimmjow could feel the rage, the anguish through the Claim. His arms tightened around the shinigami and he reached up, running a hand through orange hair and pulling him close.

"…But I do." He said, feeling the truth of it all through his body. If he hadn't cared, this wouldn't be bothering him. He could feel Ichigo's heavy breathing, feel the shinigami struggling to keep his composure. Gradually the breathing evened out and Ichigo spoke again.

"Why Grimm? Why do you care about how I feel?" Ichigo asked softly and Grimmjow hesitated, looking into warm brown eyes. He could think of several reasons offhand… when Ichigo was unhappy, he got the backflow through the Claim. When there was tension in the house, it made things unpleasant for him. When the girls knew he was upsetting Ichigo, they did small things to irritate him… and all those things were true, but they weren't the whole truth. Beyond those petty, selfish concerns was something large and nebulous. It was too hard to define, something Grimmjow knew he couldn't really put a finger on. But it was there and it made all the other reasons a lie.

"I don't know." He finally admitted and Ichigo just looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Grimmjow couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Look, I'm sorry I brought up your sister." He said awkwardly. He hardly ever apologized. Ichigo looked away, his face pinched with pain. "I knew you'd let me… I knew I wouldn't have to Claim her. I just wanted to stop the fighting and make you agree, you know?" He'd known he wouldn't have to stick his dick in Karin. Did that make a difference? Ichigo looked back at him, his eyes tired and dead. "Forgive me?" Although why he would need forgiveness from a pet… but he did. Grimmjow wasn't sure why, but he did. Ichigo shook his head.

"No, not yet." He said quietly and Grimmjow dropped his eyes. This hurt and he didn't know why. "Trust takes a while to build, Grimm. Wounds take time to heal. I don't forgive you yet, but maybe I will in time." Ichigo said quietly and Grimmjow looked up, meeting brown eyes again. There was more life in them now and something he didn't really understand. It was sort of like pity but not really. Compassion? Something like that.

"Yeah, well… can you stop drowning me in depressive shit?" Grimmjow said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I might kill myself and then where will we be?" He asked and Ichigo stared at him for a moment before snorting.

"Oh bullshit. You are way to egotistical to ever kill yourself." He said and Grimmjow shook his head.

"It's egotestical, shinigami. Get it right." He chided his pet and Ichigo looked blank for a moment before getting it and wincing. "My balls have the biggest ego you have ever seen!" He boasted and Ichigo smiled a little before chuckling softly. That sound made Grimmjow feel good. It wasn't a real laugh, but they were getting there.

"I believe it. But weren't you going somewhere?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged. He could have gone with Yammy and the others to a pool party but he didn't really need to. And Ichigo was far more important than any of those losers.

"Nah, fuck those guys. Why don't we go get ice cream?" He offered and Ichigo hesitated a moment before nodding. As they left he tentatively put an arm around the shinigami's waist and he tensed for a moment, but didn't pull away.

It might take a while but they would get past this.

* * *

Starrk sat on the edge of the pool, his legs dangling in the water, and honestly wondered why he'd come.

Grimmjow wasn't there, which saddened him. Of all the other Espada the lunatic Sexta was perhaps his favorite. He and Halibel didn't get along anymore, after their abortive love affair, and he had never really gotten along well with the rest of the Espada. Glancing around, the Primera bit back a sigh.

Yammy's pet was a rather sad sight. The kimono was bad enough, but the half-healed bruise on one cheek definitely detracted from it. It was covered with makeup but that didn't do much to hide it from his keen eyes. The smoldering hatred Starrk could sense under the man's façade of calm told the Primera that he was far from broken. He wondered how long that could last, though. Yammy definitely had a way of breaking his toys.

Putting that thought aside, Starrk glanced at the water and smiled as he saw Lilinette. She was deeply enjoying the swimming pool and playing with Tesra, one of the few arrancar who was patient and gentle with her. Starrk sometimes wondered how that fraccion had attached himself to Nnoitra. He seemed entirely too gentle for the dangerous Quinta Espada. If Kinomi had been there she would have liked him as well, but Starrk had left her home. Arrancar were always dangerous and while arousing his ire would be the act of a fool, Yammy was an idiot. Starrk valued the girl highly and didn't want to chance an accident when the moron was drunk.

Jumping into the water, Starrk went to join his fraccion and Tesra. The other fraccion gave him a tentative smile, wary of his power and position, and Starrk smiled back reassuringly. He really had no interest at all in Tesra, his power was enough for him to survive around the Primera but nothing more.

Eventually there was food and Lilinette was hungry. Starrk grabbed a plate of something half-charred and tasty looking before taking a seat at the table. Unfortunately, that meant he was roped into conversation.

"Hey Starrk, I hear you wouldn't give Halibel one of your pets!" Yammy said with a gross laugh, spraying food across the table. Ulquiorra brushed a bit off his shirt while favoring the other Espada with the kind of look Starrk would give to an unsavory bug. Starrk wondered why he'd come. Perhaps it had been Orihime's influence, she'd enjoyed the water and even played with Lilinette and Tesra a bit. "I was wondering, do you fuck them at the same time?" He asked with a lewd grin and Starrk was very glad he'd left Shunsui and Juushiro to their duties. They didn't need to hear this sort of thing.

"And so what if I do?" He asked evenly and the Cero Espada laughed. Starrk caught the faint edge of distress on his pets' face and sighed to himself. None of them knew that Juushiro and Shunsui were lovers. It was odd to him, but the two shinigami had explained the nature of Soul Society to him. He wasn't going to out them to their comrades. "I'm sure they have fewer complaints than your pet." He added, glancing at Byakuya. The shinigami met his eyes for a moment, rather daring for a pet, then dropped them. Yammy laughed again.

"He knows how I like things." He boasted and Ulquiorra quietly moved to another seat, pulling Orihime with him. She seemed just as glad to go but Yammy didn't seem to notice or care. "Would you like a round with him some time? Maybe with one of your pets… I'd love to watch." Yammy leered at him and Starrk almost flinched at the thought of the gross thug watching him have sex with his mates. That was wrong beyond words but he didn't want them to know that.

"Unfortunately, my reiatsu levels would kill your pet." He declined as gracefully as he could. It helped that it was the truth. Byakuya was powerful, certainly, but a large part of it rested in the properties of his zanpakuto rather than his reiryoku. Of course, he was young compared to Shunsui and Juushiro. No doubt he would someday equal them, but that day was not yet. Yammy shrugged and looked around, trying to find someone else to bother. Realizing that Ulquiorra was gone he frowned and shrugged before grabbing his pet and pulling the man into his lap. Starrk turned his attention to his food, not wanting to watch the lewd pawing.

"Ew, Starrk, he's really gross." Lilinette said in a whisper that was meant to be overheard. Byakuya certainly heard it from the way his eyes flickered. Yammy just sneered and continued exploring his pet as the others ignored him. Orihime was looking pinched and sad, but that was the only reaction. Of course, she was the only other pet at this little party.

"Yes, I know. Ignore him." Starrk whispered back, almost meant to be overheard. He glanced up at the sky and decided that when the food was done they would go home. He needed a nap and there were other pools.

Without Grimmjow a party just wasn't much fun.


	13. Pool Party

Ichigo gripped the edge of the wall, struggling very hard to hold back any sounds. Grimmjow was doing the same, fucking him silently as they made out in this tiny, enclosed space.

Arrancar didn't make waste so Ichigo had known something was up when Grimmjow had followed him to the restaurant washroom. He hadn't wanted to protest in front of his sisters, though, and some dark, twisted part of him had been interested to see where this was going.

Where it had been going was bathroom sex. It was quick, dirty and incredibly hot. Grimmjow's cock was buried deep inside him, torturing him with fast paced, brutally hard thrusts. The knowledge that just outside the door were dozens of people having their meals actually made it better. Ichigo bit his lip as he silently writhed in Grimmjow's grip, that heavy hand that was working over his length mercilessly.

It didn't last long, which was what they both wanted. With a fine sense of timing, Grimmjow managed to aim him for the toilet just as he came. The pleasure was intense and Ichigo arched with a soft, outflowing huff of air as the Espada behind him grunted and finished. He pulled away with a sodden squelch and Ichigo gasped, his legs rubbery as Grimmjow grabbed the toilet paper and cleaned him off.

"I really did need to pee." He said as soon as he had his breath back and Grimmjow rumbled a laugh before pressing a kiss against the nape of his neck. Ichigo shivered slightly at the feel of warm, soft lips on his skin.

"You do that while I take care of this." That made him blush, but they had just made out in a bathroom. Being shy now was rather ridiculous. He took care of business as the Espada finished cleaning him and tossed the sodden tissues into the bowl. A quick straightening of clothing and they were both ready to go.

"You guys took an awful long time in there." Karin commented, but not like she suspected something and it took all of Ichigo's willpower not to blush as he took a seat. "We got the desserts and coffee while you were gone."

"I love coffee Ichi-nii!" Yuzu gushed before sipping her cup. Ichigo smiled, a touch sadly. Goat-face had believed that coffee wasn't for children. He'd hardly let Ichigo have any, let alone Yuzu and Karin. Grimmjow didn't care and when he'd tried to enforce the rule, Ichigo had suffered a sister rebellion. Deciding it wasn't worth the hassle, he'd let them have coffee. They already had tea all the time, what was the difference anyway?

"Eh, I like tea better." Karin said before digging into her dessert. "This cheesecake is really, really good. It's got a great shortbread crust." She said with a blissful look and Ichigo nodded before he tried his. He'd ordered an apple cobbler with ice cream. It was served in a skillet and piping hot, to his pleasure.

"I bet mine is the best. This chocolate thing is the shit." Grimmjow boasted and Ichigo smiled as Karin made a face at him.

"Language!" She complained, but without much heat. Grimmjow's potty mouth was unstoppable. Ichigo suddenly wondered… would their child pick that up? Although it had already been several months without results and Grimmjow thought success might take years. Too early to worry about that, although it would probably happen.

"Can I try a bit?" He asked and Grimmjow nodded, his mouth full. Ichigo dug a spoon into the chocolate cake and tried it. It had a layer of hazelnut ganache and heavenly chocolate frosting. Ichigo thought that Grimmjow had chosen well on the dessert, although he liked his too. Then Grimmjow stole a bit of his without asking and Ichigo scowled. "Hey!"

"Oi, you tried mine." He pointed out and Ichigo had to concede that that was true. But…

"I did ask." He groused, but good naturedly. That was Grimmjow, for sure. The Espada just grinned, licking the ice cream off his spoon. "So what was the plan for tomorrow?" It was Grimmjow's day off. The Espada looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing at his sisters.

"You girls okay with cutting classes?" He asked and Karin snorted with a nod as Yuzu looked down at her food.

"It's just a field trip and I don't want to hang out with those bitches anyway." She said roughly and Ichigo winced. He wasn't sure what had happened at the academy but _something_ had gone down a month ago. Now Karin and Yuzu didn't want to socialize with the girls, outside of lessons. It made him feel bad, that his sisters had almost no friends at school. They had developed some friends on the baseball team, though. It had girls from different grades.

"Okay. We're going to hang out with Starrk, Lilinette and their pets at a private pool. We booked the whole thing." Ichigo blinked at that. That would have to be expensive. Grimmjow explained with a grin. "One of Starrk's pets is a noble and he helps pay for things. I should have Claimed someone with some money, eh?"

"Oh screw you!" Ichigo snapped then winced as Karin smacked him on the shoulder. "Why couldn't we just go to a public pool?" That seemed a bit odd. Grimmjow scowled.

"Two Espada? We'd clear it out." He said which was all too accurate. "And Starrk isn't comfortable for normal people to be around. You guys should be just fine, but most people couldn't hack it."

"You're sure Grimmjow-san? I could never see ghosts." Yuzu sounded worried but Grimmjow waved the concern away.

"You might not be powerful, but you're used to being around people who are. I dunno if you could live with him but one afternoon with Starrk should be fine." He said and Yuzu subsided, but still looked a touch worried. "Ease up! Starrk's a sweetheart. You'll like Lilinette, too. She's got a nice personality, when she's not squishing puppies." Grimmjow said and both his sisters went a little pale. They didn't think that was an euphemism. They were wrong in that, but it was better that way. "And Juushiro always has candy for kids."

"I'm sure it will be fine. Better than the field trip anyway." Karin said and Yuzu nodded sadly. Their waiter came by, pouring them some more coffee before asking if there was anything they needed. They all declined and just enjoyed the coffee. This restaurant had very good coffee. "How'd you find this place?" Karin asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Nnoitra. He likes to show off his women at places like this." He said and Ichigo nodded. From the little he'd seen of Nnoitra, that made sense. "And he loves to talk, he said this was a good place. Need to remember, it's nice and the people aren't too scaredy." Grimmjow grinned as he said that. A few patrons had made a quick exit when an Espada had arrived, but the rest had stayed, relatively confident that he wasn't there to cause trouble. Then the waiter brought the check. "Hmm? Thanks." Grimm said before picking it up, examining it and nodding. He reached into his pocket and examined his money before counting out the exact amount for their meal. Tipping was not the custom in Soul Society, just like Japan. With that done, they quietly left. As they walked home, Grimmjow put an arm around Ichigo's waist in a possessive gesture. Ichigo hesitated a moment, but let it happen.

There was no point in fighting it. He was still the Espada's pet.

* * *

"This is a pretty good party, Ichi-nii." Karin said with approval and Ichigo smiled as he glanced around the pool.

It was in a very exclusive, expensive neighborhood. The pool had lovely potted plants around it, and also a very large, elegant hot pool. Starrk was in it, an expression of bliss on his face. Ichigo examined him a moment and had to admit that Grimmjow was right. The Primera Espada was almost physical perfection. He also seemed like a nice person, from what little Ichigo could see. His 'pets' didn't seem abused, at least.

Shunsui was sleeping in one of the lounge chairs, his hat shading his face and a bottle of saki on the ground beside him. Juushiro was in the pool, wearing only swim shorts and playing with Yuzu, Kinomi and Lilinette. He looked far too thin and there were a few bruises on his skin, but Ichigo knew that was normal. He'd had an attack recently and the treatments sometimes got a bit physical, when they had to force his lungs to work.

Lilinette squealed as Grimmjow grabbed her and twirled her through the air before dumping her back in the water. The Espada laughed as she surfaced then squawked in surprise as she grabbed him and knocked his legs out from under him, sending him into the water with her. Ichigo's smile widened as he watched them play. He was absolutely certain Grimm could have evaded Lilinette, he'd just chosen not to.

_What kind of a father will he make?_ Ichigo wondered to himself. _What kind of father will I make?_ He sighed to himself before sipping his own saki and closing his eyes, enjoying the sun. He and Karin had both played quite a bit, but they were ready to sun themselves now.

"Mmm… maybe I should join Starrk." He murmured, glancing at the hot pool. It did look nice and Ichigo thought he wanted to talk to the Primera. Karin just muttered something he took for assent and he left to go to the hot pool. Starrk opened his eyes for a moment as he stepped in and Ichigo noticed that they were a soft grey. He settled into the water with a sigh, enjoying how it felt. "I wonder if I could talk Grimmjow into getting a hot tub." He said blissfully. He would have to check the accounts, see how long it would take for the savings to accrue. Starrk chuckled softly.

"It would be worth it. We have one and we use it all the time." Starrk said drowsily and Ichigo nodded. That reminded him, though… he wanted to talk to Starrk about a few things.

"Starrk? Can I ask you something?" It was a bit awkward, but he really wanted to know. The Coyote opened his eyes, looking slightly curious and nodded. "Do you… have any feelings for Grimmjow?" He forced out, looking at the other man intently. Grey eyes widened for a moment before a small smile crossed his face.

"Oh no, not now." The reply was so sincere that Ichigo couldn't doubt it. "I did consider, in Los Noches… but you see, Grimmjow is just barely acceptable for my reiatsu level. There was the unfortunate possibility that I might kill him. I enjoy his company too much for that, so I left him alone. And now I have my pets. I don't need to take risks with Grimmjow's life." Starrk said and Ichigo stared at him, surprised and slightly doubtful. It sounded like the Coyote was fond of Grimmjow, at least. Starrk tilted his head, still smiling. "And do you care for him?"

"I… don't know." Ichigo said slowly, feeling a blush rising on his face. But he'd been asking for that, with his questions. He glanced at the pool. They'd found a ball and were engaged in a game of water polo, although Juushiro was resting in one of the chairs now and Shunsui and Karin were back in the water. "It's just, we're going to be having a child. I want things to be secure." He didn't want Grimmjow to suddenly get bored and start wandering. Starrk's eyes had been half closed but they flared wide open as he digested that.

"Wait, having a child? How?" The Coyote sat upright and Ichigo suddenly wondered if he should be discussing this. But Grimmjow hadn't told him not to. He hesitated a moment before he nodded.

"Szayel's going to… to splice together our genetic material and use a surrogate mother." He said, wondering if Starrk would understand. The Coyote looked completely blank. "Do you know what genetic material is?" Ichigo asked and Starrk shook his head.

"No." He said and Ichigo sighed to himself before he did his best to explain. Fortunately Starrk was very intelligent and grasped the concept readily. "But male and female material must be meant to combine. Surely with two males this would be difficult?"

"Yes, but Szayel's willing to try. It might take years." Ichigo said and Starrk nodded slowly.

"That would explain why I've heard nothing of it. Szayel would want a success to point to." He mused, then glanced towards the pool. "Forgive me, but is your sister supposed to be doing that?" The Coyote asked in a curious tone and Ichigo glanced over before freezing in absolute shock.

"KARIN!" He almost catapulted out of the water as Karin wiped her lips in a slightly ashamed way. "What are you doing?!"

"Drinking some saki. What? I wanted to try it." She said defensively and Ichigo looked at her in utter dismay. That dismay turned to anger as Grimmjow laughed uproariously.

"Did you set her up to this?" He snarled at the Espada but he shook his head, still laughing. "Karin! How could you?" He said and she scowled at him.

"You're not my dad!" She snapped back but then Grimmjow snatched the bottle out of her hand. "Hey!"

"Let me check this shit out." He said before swigging it back. Ichigo blinked as he realized he'd never seen Grimmjow drink saki before. Beer was definitely his drink of choice. "Ah shit, powerful… reminds me of vodka. This ain't for you, girl." Grimmjow said firmly before capping the container and tossing it to Shunsui. He caught it easily, with an amused smile. "You want, you can have a bit of wine with supper. But no more of that shit."

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo was appalled by his idea of parenting, although Karin and Yuzu both seemed thrilled by the idea. "What the hell?" He asked and the arrancar scowled at him.

"I'm the head of the household, shinigami! What I say goes. And back in my day the kids sure as hell wouldn't get vodka, but wine or beer? All the damned time. 'Course, half the year the water was shit." Grimmjow added and that made Ichigo frown. Fermentation was the easiest way to make the water safe for drinking, though, back before filtration and purification systems. "'Sides, they're fourteen. I happen to know the bars in the Rukongai would serve 'em."

"They'll serve anybody." Ichigo retorted, but without much heat. He was clearly not going to win this one and a bit of wine probably wouldn't hurt them. It was definitely better than saki.

"Were you Russian Grimmjow-san?" Yuzu asked innocently and Grimmjow grunted.

"No! Fuck Russia. I was from this place… what was it named again? Shit, it's been so long… Kazakhstan? Yeah, that was it." He said and Ichigo listened, interested. He'd never really asked Grimmjow about his past before. There had been a few hints, though, that he came from a Slavic background of some kind. "I spoke Russian but that was because they made us learn it. Fucking Cossacks. Hated the bastards." Grimmjow spat to the side before shaking his head. "Depressing shit. Let's play some more. Don't want to waste the day, hey?"

"Sure." They went back to their game and Ichigo joined his sisters in the pool, but he made a note to himself. When they had some time alone, he would ask Grimmjow about his past.

He really wanted to know what had made the Espada the man he was today.

* * *

"You want to know about my past?" Grimmjow grimaced as he began to disrobe. He was too tired for sex. Ichigo was giving him a determined look, though. "Fuck, do we have to?" He wasn't really eager to talk about it. The memories… they were strange to him. The emotions that went with them didn't quite click anymore, it felt strangely disjointed.

"I want to know more about you. Please Grimm?" Ichigo said and Grimmjow thought about it a moment before giving up. He'd only have to go through it once, he could get it over with.

"Fine. I was a small town smith and part time assistant to the mayor." He said gruffly and Ichigo nodded. "Now, my people were herders and shit until the Russians started getting to us. My village was sort of lucky. Our land was good enough to support growing things, so we were getting by. Paying our taxes and feeding our kids. I was a second son and strong as fuck, so I got apprenticed to the local smith. I was damned good at it but I was having trouble finding a woman. I was too much for most of them and they bored me. Then I went on a trip and met the woman who would be my wife." Grimmjow smiled a little as he remembered that meeting. "She broke a plate over my head and kicked me in the balls." He said with relish as Ichigo's eyes went wide. "After I started a fight in the tavern. Love at first sight. I kept coming back just to hear her swear at me but finally, I wore her down and brought her home."

"You have really strange taste in women." Ichigo observed and Grimmjow laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I had a temper and I could get out of control, I needed a woman who could stand up to me. She was perfect… anyway, we had three kids. A son and two daughters." Grimmjow half-closed his eyes as he remembered them. "Beautiful kids. I was good looking, except for the fucking beard, and my woman looked alright. Yeah, they were great kids. I thought I was on top of the world, you know? A smith makes good money and I was in line to be the next mayor. Everything was going great…" Grimmjow shook his head. "I missed all this, just heard about it later. I was off fishing. But then the Cossacks came."

"They said there was something wrong with the taxes. What the fuck? I was all over those books, the mayor was damned good and he taught me. There was nothing wrong with the taxes!" Grimmjow's voice was rough with anger as he remembered. That still rankled, after so long. "Probably some fucking bureaucrat in the ruskies, padding his wallet and putting the blame on us… I don't know. But then the accusations got wild. They said we were harboring rebels, all kinds of shit. And they made an example of the mayor, his assistants and their families." He said softly and Ichigo flinched. "I wasn't there and they didn't notice one guy missing, or just didn't care. I got home and they were gone. You know what's funny?"

"What?" Ichigo asked softly and Grimmjow frowned a little, remembering.

"The thing I regretted the most was not being there. Not because I could have saved 'em, because I sure as fuck couldn't have. I wanted to be there to comfort them, hold their hands and put my arms around my wife and kids before they killed us all." He said softly and Ichigo swallowed, looking down. "I don't understand it anymore. That's why I don't like talking about this shit… I don't get it. Fuck that sentimental shit… revenge is better. And that's what I did next." Grimmjow liked the next part better. Those moments of agonizing pain and loss, he didn't really understand them anymore. They weren't a good fit with the thing he had become. "They wanted to say we were harboring rebels? I went to find some fucking rebels and I did. Oh yeah, I did… I was a smith, I wasn't afraid of shit that went boom. I got pretty good with gunpowder. That bridge I took out with half a regiment on it… that was good. I did a lot of shit before they finally shot me." Grimmjow grinned at the memories. It had been a good time, while it lasted. Of course, even then the emotions didn't quite jibe. His human self hadn't felt the kind of pleasure he felt now. There had been rage at first but it had gradually faded into grim determination. "I was still pissed so I hung around and finally went hollow. I can't really remember that part but I guess I did some more shit before running off to Hueco Mundo. The end." He shrugged, hoping he wouldn't have to repeat this story again.

"I'm sorry. It must be hard to remember." Ichigo said and Grimmjow frowned. That wasn't quite it.

"Not exactly. It's just… I'm not that person anymore. His memories, they don't quite go with me. It feels strange." He said slowly, thinking about it. It was hard to define but those memories, they went unpleasantly with his hollow existence. He wasn't sure why, but Grimmjow didn't like it. "I'm not that guy anymore. Ah, let's go to bed." This was starting to get creepy and he really was tired. Spending the day playing with the girls and Lilinette was actually more tiring than his job. Ichigo nodded and slipped over, making room for him on the bed as he turned out the lights. Grimmjow settled in beside him, snuggling comfortably against his side.

Maybe they could have sex tomorrow.

* * *

"Say what now?" Grimmjow stared at Szayel in disbelief. Had he heard what he thought he'd heard?

"You owe me a favor, Grimmjow." The other Espada said patiently and Grimmjow nodded. That was true, he owed the Octava quite a bit at the moment. "I want you to take on my pet. Since I'm no longer allowed to use him in my experiments he's of no use to me."

"Uh…" That was a flat out strange favor. Grimmjow thought it was a little insane, in fact. Sure, Renji wasn't a scientific type and Szayel likely had no specific use for him but he was powerful. Strong enough to be highly useful when it came to internal fighting and Szayel wasn't the strongest Espada, he never had been. On the other hand, despite his pink hair and devotion to his own looks, Szayel wasn't gay. Maybe he was getting tired of refreshing the Claim. "I'd have to discuss it with my pet." That made Szayel frown because technically, a pet shouldn't have any say in such a matter. Grimmjow knew it but… "We're having a kid, he's getting a little territorial." That was a bit of a lie but Szayel would at least understand it. The Octava blinked and then nodded.

"A good point, I hadn't thought of that. When can you check with him?" Grimmjow considered it. Ichigo was probably off at the market or something, he'd given the teen permission to leave the house. But it would be easy enough to find him.

"Right now. I'll be back in a bit." He said, deciding to get this taken care of quickly. He had a pretty good idea what Ichigo's response would be anyway, but he was starting to get a hang of this 'social interaction' stuff. If he just did it without asking Ichigo would be pissed, but if he asked the shinigami might even be grateful that he was helping out a friend. Taking a firm look at the Claim in his mind he began to seek it out. Ichigo would know what he was up to and would likely hold still for him.

He was right about that. The teen was sitting at a picnic table and frowning, a couple bags at his feet and an ice cream cone in his hand. He licked a bit of errant cream away from the cone and Grimmjow had dirty, dirty thoughts. Pulling himself away from some beautiful thoughts of what that tongue could do, he grinned at his exasperated pet.

"Stop looking at me like that! I know exactly what you're thinking." Ichigo growled and Grimmjow laughed. "What do you want?" That recalled him to his task and Grimmjow frowned before having a seat across from him.

"Well, it's kind of weird." He said frankly as Ichigo blinked at him. "That friend of yours, Renji. How would you like it if I Claimed him?"

"What?!" Ichigo stopped eating his ice cream to stare at him. "Why? I know you get along but…" From the look on his face, he found the whole idea a bit preposterous. Grimmjow shrugged. He wasn't too keen on it either, but…

"I owe Szayel a favor and he's not gay. Neither is Renji." This wasn't going to be a huge upgrade from Renji's perspective although he could at least do the Claim less often. And he wouldn't have to worry about random experimenting. Maybe it was a big upgrade. Still… Grimmjow suddenly wondered. Could he cast the Claim in his female form? He'd never done it or experienced it so he had no idea how female hollows did that. "Anyway, Szayel wants to get rid of him. He's no use in the lab and now that he can't use him for a test subject he's just in the way." Grimmjow explained as Ichigo frowned. "We do have a bedroom free. I'm not too keen on it, the house might get cramped when our kid needs his own room." That was going to be an issue. But they could try to move to something bigger. "I wonder if Renji gets paid?" He mused. It was hard to say what the remaining taichou were or weren't getting. Given that they were pets, maybe they weren't getting paid a thing. Ichigo took a deep breath before nodding firmly.

"It's okay Grimm. I'm… not keen on you having sex with Renji but if it will keep him away from Szayel, it's for the best." He said firmly then grimaced. "Although Renji will hate it." He predicted and Grimmjow laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure he will." Even if he made the redhead enjoy it, physically, he'd be hating every moment. "I need to talk to Halibel." That was going to be tricky. Maybe it would be easier to just hunt down one of her fraccion. Ichigo looked at him uncomprehendingly and Grimmjow decided not to explain. "Well, I'll get onto that. See you later Ichigo." He purred and had the satisfaction of seeing his pet swallow, hard. The things that tongue could do… he'd make sure to experience it later, and give Ichigo the same pleasure.

He deserved a reward for being so understanding.


	14. Hot Sexy Time

Ichigo moaned softly as his body was explored, rough, callused hands caressing him with surprising gentleness. One of his nipples was caught and slowly stroked by a faintly rough, sandpapery tongue. Ichigo hissed as that was followed by a nip, abusing the pert nub of flesh. Then his other nipple was taken and given the same treatment. By the time that was over he was panting, a noticeable problem developing between his thighs.

"Trying romance again?" Ichigo managed to ask, looking down to meet bright blue eyes. Grimmjow chuckled, spreading his legs and slowly toying with his entrance. Ichigo hissed softly as those big fingers breached him, gently spreading and teasing him on the inside.

"Nah. You're just being a good sport about this so I thought you needed a reward." Grimmjow's voice… it could still do amazing things to his mind and body. Ichigo hadn't forgiven him yet, for threatening Karin, but at least part of him didn't care. He was enjoying this and it seemed pointless to deny it. Then Grimmjow went down between his legs and Ichigo's eyes went wide as that tongue began to caress his balls in slow, languid strokes.

"Nhh!" He'd felt this before, plenty of times, but that didn't make a difference to how good it felt. Ichigo's breathing speeded up as that tongue did sinful things to him. Then Grimmjow went down on his cock, cupping his balls with one big hand and Ichigo had to close his eyes at the intensity of it. Grimmjow's throat was hot and tight around him, that tongue teasing him wickedly. He clenched his hands in the bed sheets, breathing heavily as the arrancar kept stimulating him. Grimmjow's hands were busy too, playing with his balls and stroking his inner thighs as the pressure increased…

Ichigo finally came, curling slightly and shaking with the intensity of his orgasm. When the spasms eased Grimmjow pulled away, wiping his lips and grinning. Ichigo met his grin with a tired smile. Then Grimmjow was climbing up his body, fastening their lips together. Ichigo responded to the kiss, resting his hands on those broad, muscled shoulders. Then, feeling a bit daring, he lowered a hand to trace the scar on the Espada's chest. He made a soft grunting sound but didn't protest the treatment.

"You're fucking gorgeous, Ichigo." Grimmjow said as they parted for breath, his eyes hot and full of lust. "My perfect little strawberry, I'm gonna eat you up." He purred and Ichigo swallowed, feeling another hit to his libido. Although…

"It means protector." He snapped and Grimmjow laughed before sitting up and Ichigo saw he was sporting a huge erection. No surprise after what they had just done.

"Whatever. I'm naming the kid, whenever it gets here. Your family has a bad track record." He teased and Ichigo scowled, thinking about protesting. Then he thought better of it. His name had been a source of misery for most of his life, if he was going to be honest.

"There's nothing wrong with Karin and Yuzu. You want me to…?" He asked, managing to hold back a blush. Grimmjow laughed and nodded and Ichigo took a deep breath before sitting up and taking his place between the arrancar's legs. He knew how to do this, he'd done it a hundred times. The sound Grimmjow made when he started, though… it was somewhere between a growl and a purr and a hand slid through his hair, touching him almost gently.

"What was that thing I read? Oh yeah… think of it as juicing a really ugly fruit…" Grimmjow muttered dreamily and Ichigo's eyes went wide before he choked. He had to abruptly pull away, much to the Espada's displeasure. He didn't even manage to growl, though, before his partner was laughing. "Oi!" Grimmjow protested as Ichigo couldn't stop laughing. He knew it was the worst timing in the world, but that was suddenly the most hilarious thing he'd ever heard. "Shit, this is my fault… come on, the ugly fruit is waiting!" That made things worse and Ichigo choked before laughing so hard, there were tears in his eyes. "Oi." Grimmjow crossed his arms with a scowl and just waited, a bit miffed.

"S-S-Sorry." Ichigo managed to stutter as he wiped his eyes with his wrist. The arrancar huffed, then shrugged.

"Yeah, I caused that. I should've remembered, I thought that was funny too. Not THAT funny, but I didn't have a cock in my mouth either. Can we get on with it though? I'm starting to get blue balls here." He said plaintively and Ichigo nodded, taking Grimmjow's cock in his mouth again. Although just thinking about the ugly fruit was enough to make him smile. Soon he had the arrancar growling and purring again, as he deep throated him effortlessly. Ichigo enjoyed himself as he stroked Grimmjow's balls, humming around his dick to torture him with the vibrations. It was the second time he'd felt like this… it seemed laughter really was an aphrodisiac.

After Grimmjow came, they went back to petting and nuzzling. Ichigo could tell from the heat in his eyes that the arrancar wasn't done and he went willingly as Grimmjow pushed him onto his back, exploring him again and nuzzling his throat. Feeling oddly daring, he began returning the attention, sliding a thumb over a pebbly nipple. Grimmjow made a slightly surprised sound and Ichigo swallowed as brown eyes met bright blue. Grimmjow had never asked or ordered him to return this kind of attention, aside from blowjobs. This was voluntary… then warm lips fastened to his and Ichigo returned the kiss, closing his eyes for a moment as big hands massaged his ass. This was starting to feel good and he could feel the Espada's erection coming back to life, pressed against his belly.

"I've been thinking about love, shinigami. Is this part of what love is? Only wanting to fuck one person?" Grimmjow whispered in his ear and Ichigo drew a breath as he shivered slightly. "Or is that just obsession? I'm pretty fucking obsessive, always have been. You got any idea?"

"No." He whispered back. Love was hard to define and Grimmjow was right about himself. He was practically the definition of obsessive, when he got something stuck in his mind. "I've never been in love, I wouldn't know." There was a flicker of something in those blue eyes, but it was gone too quickly for him to say what it was. Then Grimmjow shrugged and kissed him again.

After a bit more foreplay, Ichigo took the usual position, hands and knees. Then something unexpected happened. Grimmjow ran a finger down his spine, toying with his opening for a moment and Ichigo blinked as he felt hot breath against his ass. Then he gasped as he felt a warm, flexible tongue touch him there. What was the Espada doing?

"Grimm? Unh!" Ichigo gasped as that tongue dipped past the ring of muscle, exploring his insides. "Wh-what are you…" They had never done this before. There was a harsh chuckle before Grimmjow went back to his work, spreading him with his fingers for better access. Ichigo panted, staring at the blankets as he felt sweat breaking out all over his body. Who could have imagined that having his ass licked would feel so good?

Soon enough, though, Grimmjow replaced his tongue with something much longer and hotter. Ichigo moaned breathily as he was penetrated, that big length sliding home. The Espada gripped his hips and immediately began to pound into him with a quick, pleasurable rhythm. Ichigo groaned softly as he felt the arrancar hit his prostate. After so long, he knew exactly how to find it.

"You feel so fucking good in there, shinigami." Grimmjow purred in his ear and Ichigo bit his lip, half-closing his eyes as the Espada took him. When had he started enjoying this so much? But he always had, it just didn't disgust him as much anymore. "I love fucking you, it's always the best part of the day." Ichigo gasped as a warm hand encircled his cock, stroking him expertly. The way the Espada thumbed his head… he bucked against Grimmjow without thought, his body reacting to the stimulation it was receiving within and without. The arrancar laughed, still fucking him fast and hard. Ichigo met his thrusts, breathing hard and fighting not to cry out. Although…

"If I ever said… fuck me harder… would you die of shock…?" He managed to ask and smiled as he heard a warm chuckle from behind him.

"Oh yeah, you'd stop my heart… unh…" Grimmjow growled before nipping the back of his neck, like a big cat mating. Ichigo gasped as the hand on his erection speeded up, stimulating him roughly. The oil made it good, slick and frictionless. "Oh yeah."

Ichigo lost track of time after that. Grimmjow whispered more dirty endearments in his ear as the Espada tormented his body with pleasure. Finally, it became too much. Ichigo came with a muffled scream, burying his face in the pillow to hold back the sound. Grimmjow growled and released inside him with a grunt. He would likely have preferred to howl, but they were both mindful of his sisters trying to sleep upstairs. After a moment where they both stayed like that, gasping, the Espada slowly pulled away. Ichigo blinked as a hand slowly stroked his side, caressing him with an almost loving gesture.

"I'm going to have to Claim you again soon." He stiffened slightly at that and looked behind him. Grimmjow was sitting back, regarding him thoughtfully. "Sorry, but we're going to be doing that more often now. Thought I should tell you." He sounded almost apologetic and Ichigo blinked. That wasn't typical of Grimmjow at all.

"Why?" He said neutrally as he slipped onto his side, avoiding the wet spot on the bed. Fortunately it was a huge bed. Grimmjow grunted before he slid behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist. That was his preferred position.

"That kido. You're getting better." He said and Ichigo nodded. It was very slow going – every time he went up a stone on the restraints, he had to learn how to control his own strength – but he was progressing. He was at quarter power now, for most things. "Everyone says you'll be like Aizen when you get a grip on it, and he could crush me like a bug even before he absorbed his cube. So we're going to be Claiming once a month. I'm not letting you get away from me. Aizen might kill you if I did, or give you to Yammy." Grimmjow's tone was dark and Ichigo shuddered at the thought. He really didn't want to wear a dress. He wondered who that person was. He still hadn't seen it, Grimmjow didn't much like hanging around with Yammy. "And if the Claim got weak you would be tempted to try it."

"Yeah." Ichigo whispered. Even with the danger, he would be tempted. Would he actually do it though? After a moment's thought he decided he wouldn't. The danger to his sisters would be too extreme. But Grimmjow didn't want to take the chance. Although… "You're just a possessive bastard, admit it." He said and the Espada laughed.

"You're so damned right." A kiss was pressed against his cheek and Ichigo smiled as he felt the bone scrape against him. "Go to sleep, Ichigo." The way Grimmjow said his name… it was almost like it meant something. And maybe it really did.

Feeling almost content, Ichigo closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

* * *

Starrk smiled up at Shunsui, spreading his legs in an inviting gesture. The shinigami smiled back and took the invitation, kissing him deeply as he began preparing him. Starrk gasped into his mouth, feeling Juushiro watching them. He was actually too sick to participate, at the moment, but he enjoyed watching.

Starrk enjoyed everything. For so long, he'd suffered from enforced abstinence. That was one of the many, many things he'd envied the weaker for. Weaker hollows could find mates, even raise children. He'd wistfully hoped he might meet another vasto lorde capable of withstanding his dreadful power, and perhaps raise his own brood. But it had never happened.

Now, though, he had two lovers and perhaps someday… but Starrk wasn't going to think about that now. He didn't even know how they would react to the idea. As Shunsui sank into his body he groaned, wrapping his legs around the shinigami's waist. It felt so good, incredible, and warm lips found his throat above his necklace of bone.

"I love you." He whispered the words, feeling them deeply. He loved them, these two shinigami who had come so unexpectedly into his life. Shunsui smiled at him as he moved, taking the Espada in a measured, careful rhythm. Starrk smiled at the feeling. Shunsui was being careful with him but he really didn't have to. Wrapping his arms around the other man's shoulders, he urged him on with soft words of encouragement.

Soon the shinigami was taking him faster, riding him hard, exactly the way Starrk liked it. He enjoyed the tender gestures but his body craved the intense feelings he was receiving, the hard jolts to his prostate. That was the best part for him. Although taking Juushiro was almost as good, or both at once… then Shunsui gripped him and the sensation of being penetrated and pumped wiped any other thoughts away, making him arch into those hands. Starrk moaned softly, gasping as the pleasure built. He ran his hands over the shinigami's hard body, meeting every thrust enthusiastically. This felt unimaginably good…

The pleasure slowly built, coming naturally to a peak. Starrk came first, cumming in Shunsui's hands and splattering them both with his release. The shinigami bit him on the neck just as he came and Starrk gasped, a hand flying to the back of his head for a moment. Then Shunsui pulled back and whispered in his ear.

"I love you, too." Starrk's eyes widened at that admission and he almost felt like crying before Shunsui pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. Then there was a hand on his shoulder and the Coyote looked to see Juushiro there, smiling.

"I love you as well." He said, adding his affirmation and Starrk smiled, freeing a hand to reach up and touch his face. He wished he could stay with them all night, just enjoying their scents and warmth, but…

"I should begin my patrol." He said regretfully and Shunsui slowly released him. Starrk climbed out of bed, wincing a little at the cum on his thighs. A quick bit of work with a towel took care of that and he tossed the soiled rag into a hamper before putting on his clothing. "Sleep well."

"Oh, we will." Shunsui said tiredly before kissing Juushiro, who blushed. Starrk just grinned at the affection, enjoying the sight of them for a moment. Then he turned away, leaving on his patrol.

He didn't bother to take Lilinette for this, although Starrk was aware that might someday prove to be a mistake. But her little friend lived on shinigami time, and that meant she was awake during the day. Starrk was condemned to midnight patrols but that didn't mean his other half had to be. So the Coyote left her at home and hoped that he never encountered anything that required his full strength. It really wasn't likely, anyway.

His patrols took him through the streets of the Seireitei, then the Rukongai, and then out into the wilderness. They were somewhat random, given by Aizen every week. Starrk had no idea what dictated them but suspected he was keeping the presence of his Espada obvious to the less than law abiding public. Most people would be in bed by now but the ones that weren't would feel his reiatsu, the dreadful weight that he could never quite contain. Before Aizen had meddled with him, his reiryoku had been vast. Now… it was still vast, but less vicious, tamed. It would still never be entirely safe and the people would feel him, know he was prowling their streets.

Starrk searched for anything out of place but found nothing. Oh, well, there were a few abnormalities… a thief on a rooftop here, a whore and her customer in an alleyway there. Another Espada might have had fun with them but he couldn't be bothered. It was amusing how the thief almost fell off the roof as he felt the Coyote, though. Smiling to himself he continued, making his way into the wilderness.

After an hour in the woods, circling back, Starrk was almost asleep with his eyes open. Scanning for anything out of place was second nature by now, he didn't need to concentrate on it. But gradually, something crept up on him. The Coyote had the fastest sonido of all the Espada but now, he came to a halt. Glancing around slowly, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Grey eyes examined the brush thoughtfully as the mind behind them brushed over the land around him with reiatsu sensing. But he could find nothing. There were no disruptions in the reishi, nothing at all unusual about this piece of land. The only animals he could detect were rodents and insects, simple woodland beasts. "…" Yet, Starrk couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. His experience as a warrior told him it was an unfriendly regard, as well. The feeling abruptly spiked and Starrk glanced sharply behind himself, turning to face the threat he felt was coming.

Then it vanished. The Espada blinked, looking around sharply and spreading his senses. But just as before, he could find nothing at all. And now, he no longer felt like he was being watched. Frowning, he wondered if he had somehow imagined it. But then he shook his head. His mind did not play tricks on him that way. Suspicious echoes were quickly identified, strange shadows were easily placed. The Coyote was not fanciful about such things.

That only made it worse and Starrk chewed on his lip before quickly sonidoing away. He would need more than a feeling to report to Aizen. But if it recurred, he would consider reporting it.

He didn't know what that was but he didn't like it.

* * *

"You owe me for this big time, shinigami." Grimmjow regarded the body in his bed with disfavor as Renji glared at him.

"Oh fuck you! You're not the one about to get fucked by a guy!" Renji snapped and Grimmjow grinned, then laughed. He hadn't let the shinigami in on his plan, he'd decided to let it be a surprise. "What's so funny?!"

"You are, dumbass." Closing his eyes, Grimmjow concentrated. This shift was getting easier with practice. He completed it and opened his eyes to see Renji gaping at him like a fish out of water. "I had to talk to Apacci for this and she's crazier than a woodchuck on meth. So you better appreciate this." Getting in to see Halibel had been impossible but Apacci had been willing to fill his ears, after a suitable bribe of saki. Hearing the bitch sobbing about how she wanted to have her own kid hadn't been fun, though. Renji was still gaping. "Oi, trying to catch fish there?" Grimmjow said with a grin before pulling off her clothing. If he was going to be a she this often, maybe he should get some clothes that fit the female form. Filing that thought away into an 'interesting' folder, Grimmjow slid onto the bed. Renji took a deep breath, finally pulling himself together.

"Y-You're… going to Claim me like this?" He said tentatively and Grimmjow nodded. "Oh thank kami." He sounded so relieved that Grimmjow couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, Aizen couldn't give a rats ass how I do you. Now, this has to be done from the mate position." She said in a businesslike tone as Renji frowned, confused. "That means from the front. Females usually take a male form to do Claims." That was an interesting tidbit and explained why females didn't Claim, much. "When they don't, they usually tie the other hollow up, gag 'em and put a blindfold on 'em. Full bondage. But since you can't return a Claim I don't think we need to bother with that shit… do you mind wearing a blindfold though?" The thought of looking into Renji's eyes while they fucked made Grimmjow uncomfortable. It didn't share that with Ichigo yet, he didn't want to share it with someone he definitely didn't want that way. Renji looked a little mystified but nodded.

"I don't mind. Can you explain this later, though?" He was clearly a little impatient to get on with things and Grimmjow grinned. He could see the lust in those brown eyes, Renji clearly liked what he was seeing. A quick fix with a piece of black cloth and they were ready to go.

What followed was very nice. Renji's hands were free and he was free with them, pinning the Espada to bed and exploring her body enthusiastically. Grimmjow was surprised by the forceful attention but let it happen. It was completely new and being dominated as a woman was at least more natural than being taken as a man. Grimmjow purred, deep in her throat as Renji sucked on her nipple, drawing the flesh into his mouth for a moment before letting go with a pop. The other nipple got the same treatment as a hand slipped between her legs, finding her clit. She was dealing with an experienced lover, this time.

Maybe that's why it was better, or maybe it was just that Renji was enthusiastic about his task where Ichigo really hadn't been. Either way, it felt great when that hard length sank into her body and Grimmjow groaned before beginning the process of the Claim with a soft kiss. Renji stiffened with a low moan as the Espada sent power coursing into his body, and then he responded by thrusting powerfully into her. Grimmjow yelped then moaned, kissing the redhead again as the penetration deepened.

It was rough and almost painful, yet also amazingly good. The process of the Claim wouldn't let Renji cum until it was done, so Grimmjow had nothing to fear on that front. Hands cupped his breasts and roughly squeezed, making the Espada groan. That felt good too and with his hierro, there was no real chance of harm.

Grimmjow kept pumping Renji with his reiatsu until he judged the time was right. Then he sank his teeth into the shinigami's throat, completing the loop. Renji went stiff as he came, his body shaking and Grimmjow let go of his neck just as her orgasm came, feeling the intense pleasure as her insides clenched tight around the man, taking his seed. Not that she could do anything with it… that would require staying in this body for months and that was just not happening. They were both left gasping and breathless, tangled together.

"That was so good." Renji sounded like he'd just lost his mind and Grimmjow chuckled tiredly, poking him in the side. The shinigami got the hint and moved off her, reaching up to remove the blindfold.

"Yeah, well, don't count on it happening often. I'm gonna be Claiming you once every six months." Grimmjow said firmly and Renji actually looked disappointed. "But if you find a real love interest, I don't care." That would have been hard for him when he was Szayel's pet. Not because Szayel cared, but because most of his time was spent at the reorganized Twelfth. Not the best place to find a normal woman. Renji sighed, looking down.

"I don't have good luck with women." He said sadly and Grimmjow blinked at him. "Rukia… I miss her so much, sometimes." He admitted and the Espada frowned before he nodded. He remembered the girl, mostly from putting his hand into her. Zommari had finished her off, from what he'd heard. Then her brother had killed him but it had been too late for her.

"You'll find someone someday." Standing up, Grimmjow closed 'her' eyes and concentrated a moment. Then he was a man again, which was a far more comfortable fit. Being a woman was interesting and he enjoyed doing it occasionally, but he'd never want to live that way. "Go to sleep, tomorrow's gonna be a long day." He advised. Tomorrow, they were actually going to the Living world. Aizen suspected that there were a few survivors of the final battle who had escaped and it was their job to look. Renji looked unhappy at the reminder but nodded.

Even if they were his friends, he had no choice but to obey.


	15. Stalking a Coyote

"How the fuck does Aizen expect us to find anything? Shit!" Grimmjow cursed as Renji nodded sympathetically. The shinigami with them just looked terrified by his display of temper.

At least one survivor was confirmed… it was the other female taichou, Soi Fon. Grimmjow wasn't sure how she'd managed to avoid getting captured and Claimed but apparently she was on the run in the Living World. Aizen thought the Shihoin woman, Yoruichi, might be alive too. Expecting him to find those two was just absurd. This was a job for Barragan and Ulquiorra, not the Espada of Destruction!

Of course, Aizen knew that. So it followed that his failure was in fact the goal of this mission. Grimmjow reflected on that balefully as they continued their fruitless and pointless search. Renji did subtlety almost as well as he did, he noticed. They were so outmatched here it wasn't even funny.

Finally giving it up for a bad job, they went back to Soul Society. As soon as they got back there was a hell butterfly waiting for him.

_Please report on your mission at your earliest convenience, Sexta._ Tosen sounded particularly polite and Grimmjow could guess why. He wasn't stupid, he had to know this was a setup and he didn't always care for Aizen's and Gin's games. Still, 'earliest convenience' meant 'right away' when he had such a shitty showing to report. Sighing to himself he let the butterfly go.

"Grimm? Do you want me to tell Ichigo anything?" Renji asked which was actually a pretty good question. Grimmjow considered it a moment before shaking his head.

"Just tell him I'm going to be late and don't bother saving anything for me." He really didn't need to eat a cold supper. Renji nodded, looking rather morose. "Now get the guys home. Tell them I'll take the fucking blame." The lower ranked shinigami would know this was some kind of game, too, and they'd be afraid it was aimed at them. A 'failure' Aizen could point to, to justify some kind of action against them. Grimmjow was absolutely sure they weren't involved but they would be paranoid and for damned good reason.

Using sonido, Grimmjow made his way to the palace. Aizen could have taken up a spot in the Spirit Realm but he'd decided to stay here instead. Getting to the old Soul King's plane had always been a pain in the ass and he was a hands on type. On the way, he thought about what he was going to say and decided he would make his punishment worth it. Why the hell not? They were going to punish him anyway.

"So, Sexta." Aizen was in his throne when he arrived, smiling slightly in amusement. Gin was there too, with Rangiku. That explained why she hadn't been at work today. Grimmjow examined her surreptitiously and noticed that while she seemed to be completely unhurt, she was wearing a spiked collar and he could see a few peeks of leather under her usual uniform. That gave him a hint about what was coming although he desperately hoped he was wrong. "Are you bringing me word of your success?"

"No, I failed like a glass hammer. Why in fuck would you send me out to find the former head of the Onmitsukido? Are you fucking thick?" Grimmjow demanded and Aizen's smile widened. Then power rushed out and Grimmjow yelped in pain as he was practically slammed into the ground. "F-Fuck you!" He managed to say, feeling a massive amount of hate snarling through him. He really, really despised this man. Aizen left his throne and Grimmjow lifted his head, snarling as Aizen walked up to him.

"You think I'm stupid, Grimmjow? Really?" Aizen asked pleasantly and the Espada looked down. "I thought not. So what do you think the point of this was? Hm?" He asked, using the tip of his booted foot to pull up Grimmjow's chin. He gritted his teeth, blue eyes flaring before he responded.

"A setup so you can punish me – argh!" Grimmjow grunted as Aizen kicked him onto his back. He still couldn't get off the floor, the power was crushing him. "As if anyone won't know!" He managed to say and Aizen just shrugged, unconcerned.

"It is a little threadbare but no one will care. Now…" He snapped his fingers and Grimmjow blinked.

Everything was different. Cursing to himself, he realized Aizen had used his power in a way similar to his old zanpakuto. He'd put him into some kind of trance, most likely, then maneuvered him like a living doll. Grimmjow growled as he looked over his position and the… clothes he was wearing.

The whole thing sucked. He was in a suspension bondage rig. Ichigo probably thought he was ignorant of things like this but the truth was, he had a damned good education. He just absolutely hated it since it was Aizen's favorite thing to use on him. Grimmjow had too many bad memories associated with it, and even seeing Ichigo in this kind of thing wouldn't work for him. Right now, he was 'dressed' in leather straps. They had little clips, meant to clip to each other. Of course, normally little things like that couldn't hold him, but Aizen's reiatsu in them ensured they would.

The worst part was the way his naked body was displayed. His arms were behind him, hung from the ceiling and taking a fair bit of his weight. The rest was on his right foot. His left leg was pulled up behind him, pulled away from him to maximize his lack of balance and to give someone behind him good access. Grimmjow snarled at the thought, squirming helplessly in his bonds. Then he lifted his head at a strange giggle. Blue eyes widened as he saw what was in front of him.

Rangiku was there, her blue eyes wide and oddly glazed. Grimmjow wondered if she was drugged or if Aizen was doing something to her. He wasn't sure which he liked less. He definitely did NOT like what she was wearing. It was a classic dominatrix outfit of black leather, and she was holding a riding crop in one hand and a whip in the other. Just to make it perfect, she also had a strap on. Grimmjow desperately wished he hadn't seen that. There was only one place it could be going.

"Live sex show? Fuck." Grimmjow growled then whined softly as Rangiku laughed. It was a cruel, empty sound and he knew he wouldn't get a bit of mercy. She walked around him and he flinched as the riding crop came down on his ass with a very loud, smacking sound. It didn't hurt too much, but it did hurt. Another enhanced toy, most likely, but the bruises would fade eventually. Grimmjow grit his teeth and set himself to endure as the 'play' started.

There wasn't much else he could do.

* * *

Ichigo looked out the window, wondering when Grimmjow would be home.

It was very late. Renji hadn't been willing to tell him anything about why the Espada hadn't come home, but he was a terrible liar. Something was badly wrong but he wasn't sure what. Leaning against the windowsill, he could think of plenty of different possibilities. The most likely, though, seemed to be that Grimmjow was in some kind of trouble. And for an Espada, that meant Aizen.

"Why do I care?" He whispered to himself as he looked up at the crescent moon. "…Huh." Sighing, he turned away from the window and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes. Why did he care about what was happening to Grimmjow? The Espada was still his rapist. Even when it felt good, he wasn't allowed to say no. And he hadn't forgiven him for threatening Karin. Just going on with life and pretending it hadn't happened wasn't forgiveness. Closing his eyes, he tried to get some sleep.

A dragging footstep made his eyes flare open. Sitting up, he listened and bit his lip as he heard it again. Then there was the faint sound of the front door opening and more of those strangely dragging footsteps. Overwhelmed by concern although he couldn't say why, Ichigo got out of bed to go see what was happening. As soon as he saw Grimmjow his eyes went wide.

It was dark and Grimmjow hadn't turned on any lights, but he could still make out the fresh bruises on that pale skin. There were dozens of them, criss-crossing marks that he couldn't quite place. There were also bruises on his face, in a pattern that made him think of a gag that had been placed on much too tightly. As Grimmjow lifted a hand to push some sweaty, dirty hair out of his face Ichigo noticed thicker, darker bruises in a ring around his wrists. The Espada was also filthy. His hair was completely disarrayed and Ichigo could smell the stale sweat and the tang of old sex. Instincts came to the fore and he was moving before he even thought about it.

"Grimm, you can lean on me." He said as he gripped the arrancar's arm. Blue eyes flicked up and Ichigo wasn't surprised to see he looked absolutely exhausted. "You need a shower, come on." He put Grimmjow's arm over his shoulders and the Espada grunted.

"Yeah, sure." He muttered before limping with him out of the room. Ichigo felt a helpless anger as he saw how Grimmjow was moving. He knew that kind of stiffness, he'd suffered it a few times. Mostly right at the beginning of their 'relationship', when he'd received his few sexual punishments. Pushing those unpleasant memories aside he helped Grimmjow into the shower. Strangely, he knew how to do this from those times, too. After his punishments the Espada had always cleaned him off and put him to bed.

Strangely, though, there wasn't much cum on Grimmjow. Ichigo had expected his thighs to be layered with it, but there was nothing. The scent of sex was coming from the cum that was on his clothing. Most of it seemed to be on the back of his jacket, oddly. Had someone used it to clean things up? Under the bright lights of the bathroom, though, the bruises looked even uglier than they had before. They weren't healing quickly, either, which screamed 'Aizen' to him. He remembered the reiatsu poisoned whip wounds.

"Why did he do this to you?" Ichigo asked and for a moment, he thought Grimmjow wasn't going to answer. His eyes were closed and he was resting his forehead against the shower tiles, just enjoying the water cascading down his skin.

"Failed on a mission." He said briefly, then opened his eyes and growled. "'Course, it would have been a fucking miracle if I'd succeeded. Just an excuse for a live sex show…" He closed his eyes again, resting his forehead against the wall. "Sometimes I wish I weren't so fucking pretty. Me, Starrk, Szayel a bit… we're the favorite toys. Maybe Ulquiorra too, but he'd do anything for his Aizen-kami." Grimmjow spat out the name and Ichigo nodded, feeling a little sick. A live sex show? That was one thing Grimmjow had never done to him. "Hate bondage and that fucker knows it."

"Oh." That explained a lot. Ichigo had sometimes wondered why Grimmjow had never really done much bondage play with him. The closest he'd come was tying him up and using that rope cock ring. Pushing aside the unpleasant memory, he continued to clean Grimmjow off. "Can you turn around?" He said neutrally and the Espada nodded, turning around. Then Ichigo started cleaning off his chest and front as Grimmjow finally grabbed the shampoo and began lathering up his hair. The Espada's expression was calm, only the hard glint in his eyes betraying that he was upset at the treatment he'd received.

When Grimmjow was completely clean, he dried off before wrapping himself in a fluffy white bathrobe. But instead of going to bed, Grimmjow went towards the kitchen.

"You can go to bed. I can't sleep yet." He said gruffly and Ichigo frowned. He knew for a fact that arrancar needed to sleep like shinigami and humans. "I'm taking tomorrow off, Red can damned well get on without me." He said and Ichigo hesitated. But he still didn't have any duties and with Yuzu around there was less housework.

"Would you like to play Scrabble?" He offered and the Espada hesitated a moment, surprise flashing through those blue eyes. Then he nodded. Ichigo went to get the board as Grimmjow went to the kitchen and started making some coffee. Soon they were playing the game and Ichigo hid a yawn, drinking his coffee. He really was tired but he would keep Grimmjow company.

He hadn't forgiven the Espada yet, but maybe he was starting to get there.

* * *

The next several month passed by mostly without incident.

Mostly. For Starrk, most nights were fine. His patrols were largely without incident. But still, once in a while he would suffer the feeling that he was being watched. He quickly discovered that the best way to handle it was to outrun it. The feeling seemed to pursue him but then gradually vanished. And still, he really had nothing to report to Aizen. His reiatsu sensing was excellent but he could pick up no hint of what was stalking him on his nightly rounds.

All that changed when he was abruptly woken in the middle of the day. Starrk woke from a very pleasant dream of sharing ice cream with his mates to a sensation of menace. Sitting bolt upright, he looked around wide eyed and spread his reiatsu, searching for the thing that had disturbed him. But just like every other time, there was nothing.

Breathing fast with something close to fear, Starrk gripped the Claim and called both his pets. They would be at work but his summons was far more important. Then he called Lilinette. She didn't want to come but he ordered her sternly to attend to him and she finally acquiesced. Kinomi ran in with her and he scooped up the frail child, holding her protectively and blanketing her with his reiatsu. She was so accustomed to it that she hardly felt it, but any attacker would have trouble penetrating.

"Starrk-sama? Is something wrong?" She asked innocently as he looked out his window. The sun never bothered him when he was sleeping so he always kept it open. The sense of menace was almost palpable and Lilinette grabbed the curtains, pulling them shut.

"Starrk, what is that?" She sounded scared and the Coyote grimaced. "I didn't feel that when we were in the garden…"

"It followed me." He breathed, feeling sick. Had he led this… something… home with him? Then Shunsui and Juushiro both entered the room, which immediately made him feel better. His power was great but he was still a single arrancar with several people to protect. This invisible threat was also putting him on edge.

"Something followed you?" Juushiro said, glancing around in concern. Shunsui was frowning, clearly trying to find something with his senses. Starrk nodded before gently setting down Kinomi and pushing her towards Juushiro.

"Something has been watching me, on my patrols. I woke up to the same feeling. I feel it right now." Starrk glanced over his shoulder as both the shinigami gave him a dubious look. It did sound peculiar. "It means us harm… Lilinette can feel it too. Please, keep Kinomi and Mia safe for me. We must go report to Aizen." Now he wished he'd reported weeks ago. But it had all been so nebulous. It was still nebulous but a threat to his pack was far too dangerous to ignore. Hardly waiting for their replies, he lifted Lilinette in his arms and left the house in a burst of sonido. The feeling of watching abated, but that didn't make the Coyote feel any better.

It was still at the house, watching his mates.

* * *

"This all sounds rather fanciful." Shunsui said as he sipped on his tea. Mia and Kinomi were both in the room now and Mia had brought out a plateful of snacks. Kinomi had clearly decided that Starrk was going a bit funny in the head and was tucking into the food with good cheer.

"He's not a fanciful person, though." Juushiro said doubtfully as he looked out the window. They both know Starrk rather well by now and while he could be imaginative, he was also very deeply grounded in reality. Asked what had happened, he would always give a detailed but extremely truthful account, free of any embroidery. "It is strange though." He said before setting down his teacup and going to the window, looking at the garden. This spot had seemed to particularly bother Starrk. Closing his eyes and relaxing, Juushiro tried to find Jinzen. He didn't have his sword – how he missed it – but he could still use the mental discipline –

_Watching._

Juushiro immediately lost his grip on the meditation as his eyes flared open. Looking out over the gardens he shivered and took the curtains, closing them again. When he turned back to the table everyone was looking at him. Shunsui just seemed surprised but Mia was frowning and Kinomi looked a little afraid.

"I… felt something. There is something there." He said quietly before returning to the table. It felt like there were eyes on his back now and he didn't like the sensation at all. "I think we should keep the curtains closed." If he had to define where the danger was coming from he would definitely say it was the garden. Something was –

Then it wasn't. Juushiro blinked as the feeling of watching suddenly vanished. Then another power touched his senses and he sighed. It was possibly the first time he had ever felt grateful to feel Aizen's reiatsu bearing down on him. But then he bit his lower lip. Aizen was coming in person to investigate this?

He was, and he'd brought Gin as well. Mia and Kinomi hid in the kitchen as Aizen examined the house and then the garden. He had a very thoughtful look on his face as he looked over the garden area. Gin just chatted with them, clearly trying to put them at ease as Aizen did whatever he was doing. It was largely a wasted effort. Starrk was wound as tightly as a steel drum and Lilinette was suffering from his tension. Shunsui and Juushiro had absolutely no liking for the traitor, although Shunsui did at least respond to his small talk.

"The problem should be rectified, Primera." Aizen suddenly said and they all looked at him expectantly. But he just smiled at them, offering no explanations. "Please report to me immediately when you have any incidents like this." Starrk could only nod and they watched as Aizen and Gin left. Shunsui frowned and reached up to scratch beneath his hat.

"What was that about?" He wondered and Starrk sighed as Lilinette kicked a rock, scowling.

"We'll find out when something big and pointy tries to kill us." She predicted and Juushiro was sadly inclined to agree. "It's not like Aizen gives a shit!"

"Lilinette." Starrk said half-heartedly before yawning. "I need to sleep… I hope I can sleep…" He rubbed his face before looking at them. "You should both return to your duties. I'm sure it's safe for now." The Coyote said and Juushiro nodded as Shunsui shrugged, then smiled charmingly. He didn't seem at all irritated by having his work interrupted. But then, things were almost going back to normal. Nanao had been allowed to return to her duties and she was once again doing most of the heavy lifting for her captain.

Juushiro hoped things stayed normal for a while. He didn't think they would, but he could hope.

* * *

_This should be funny._ Ichigo thought, feeling cold and sick. _It's not. It's really not._

For the very first time since his victory, Aizen had called a meeting and asked the Espada to bring their pets. Most of them had obeyed and for the first time, Ichigo was seeing what was happening to Kuchiki Byakuya. It made him want to throw up. The sight of the proud noble dressed in a ladies' kimono was simply _wrong._ Abstractly, the thought of Byakuya in a dress was funny. In person, it wasn't at all.

From the things Renji was muttering under his breath, he felt the same way. Ichigo saw Grimmjows' eyes flicker, a touch of irritation passing over his face. Then Renji went silent and Ichigo was sure Grimm had just used the Claim against him. It was likely for the best, Grimmjow probably wasn't the only Espada with excellent hearing. And if another Espada deigned to notice Renji's insubordination, Grimmjow might be forced to punish him. Ichigo knew that all too well.

Forcing his attention away from Byakuya, he gave Orihime a strained smile. She returned it, her face equally marred with tension. She looked good, though. Well fed, well groomed and just generally full of good health. There were no suspicious bruises either, although it was hard to say for sure with the formal kimono she was wearing. It was a shade of green that complimented her red hair very well. Ulquiorra sat beside her, his expression blank as he slowly sipped his tea.

Nnoitra had Kotetsu Isane with him. She was looking down and there were several suspicious bruises on her, even with her own kimono to hide the damage. Ichigo tried not to look at Nnoitra. He couldn't help but hate the bastard, after what he'd done to helpless little Nel.

Barragan and Halibel were both present. Halibel was attended by no one, sitting alone in her cushion. Barragan had Yumichika and some other shinigami Ichigo had never met. He was very handsome but not terribly powerful and Ichigo was honestly surprised that Barragan could Claim him without killing him. But then, he was very old and his reiatsu was less voracious than many other hollows.

Starrk was there, half-asleep on his cushion. Shunsui was smiling as he took a sip of his saki and surreptitiously steadied his 'master'. He and Juushiro were the only 'pets' in the room who seemed relatively relaxed and Ichigo suddenly wondered. Did they have any idea why this meeting had been called?

Szayel had Uryu and Nemu with him. Ichigo tried to catch Uryu's eye but the other teen avoided him and he bit his lip. Was Ishida blaming him for failing? He couldn't blame him if he was. Ichigo dropped his gaze, feeling the all too familiar depression welling up. Then a hand rested on his lower back and he looked over to meet bright blue eyes. He managed a smile for Grimmjow and it almost felt real. The Espada was trying to comfort him, just a bit.

All thoughts of his friends vanished as Aizen walked in. He was flanked by Gin and Tosen and behind them was Unohana. She was wearing a kimono far more ornate then Orihime's or Isane's. She didn't even glance at her fukutaichou, taking her spot behind Aizen with aplomb. Aizen took a seat and she poured him some tea. Ichigo wondered if that was how this was supposed to go. He'd noticed several of the arrancar had their pets pour the tea, but Grimmjow hadn't. He'd done it himself for all three of them while muttering something about wanting coffee instead.

"Well, my Espada. It's good to see you all looking so well." He said with a warm smile. "Please, take a moment to enjoy your tea." They all did although Grimmjow somewhat ruined it by drinking all of his in a single gulp. "If you enjoy it so much, Sexta, you should have more." He gestured to Unohana who immediately obeyed, pouring Grimmjow another cup.

"Oi!" He complained and the other Espada laughed. Grimacing slightly he picked up the teacup and sipped it properly this time. "Whatever. What's this shit all about?" He asked brashly and Aizen actually chuckled before turning his attention to Tosen.

"Please, give us your report on the new shinigami classes." What followed clearly bored several of the Espada and Ichigo was left feeling rather puzzled. Why was Aizen presenting this to such a mixed audience? Why would any of the Espada care about this? "Excellent. Barragan, Ulquiorra, how have the reorganizations been progressing?" That removed the smile from Shunsui's face and Juushiro looked away. Ichigo could almost feel Renji tense up. What was making them so uncomfortable? Did he even want to know?

The rest of the meeting progressed the same way, covering things he didn't quite understand. Grimmjow didn't say much, just grunting occasionally. Finally, Aizen got to something that caught everyone's interest.

"Recently, the Primera was suffering an incorporeal stalker." Aizen said seriously. Reaction ranged from disbelief to surprise and plenty of glances were sent towards Starrk. The Coyote was actually awake now and clearly unhappy. "If any of you sense a similar thing, report it to me immediately. This is not a small issue although I cannot say how important it is. What you will feel is a sensation of being watched with no obvious cause. Do you understand?" The tone indicated that he wanted an answer and there were nods and murmured affirmatives. "Good. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

"Yeah. If I die in the line of duty I want a sex funeral. How do I make that happen?" Grimmjow demanded before chugging his tea again. Ichigo bit back a laugh as the Espada reacted with disgust or laughter, depending on their temperament. But Gin's reaction was definitely the best.

"Hey, that's from the Slut Diaries! You been reading those too? I love those!" Gin said happily, catching everyone by surprise. "The little notes in the margins, that's one of 'em! I love those things!"

"Oh yeah? My favorite was the ugly fruit one." Grimmjow said and Ichigo choked. He would never, ever forget the ugly fruit. Grimmjow had said that he'd read that, come to think of it. "Do you have the third issue? I missed it – uh." Grimmjow and Gin both winced as Aizen's reiatsu filled the air. When he was certain he had their attention, their lord and god spoke.

"Does anyone have any questions pertinent to this meeting?" He asked and there was no response. "Good. Please return to your duties." Dismissed, they all made their way out. Grimmjow paused a moment to talk quietly to Gin about getting a copy of the third issue, though. In return he promised to lend the silver haired man the seventh, which apparently he was missing. Ichigo was vaguely curious about this thing, but only vaguely. Something named the Slut Diaries probably wouldn't be his idea of good reading.

At least he knew where the ugly fruit came from, though.


	16. Tease and Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: for anyone who wants to know, the Slut Diaries aren't real. However, they're inspired by a fantasy web comic named Oglaf. It's hilarious and extremely obscene, I would highly recommend it. XD

Grimmjow smiled to himself as he carefully painted stripes onto the wall. He and Ichigo were redoing the rec room upstairs. It never got used much anyway, so now it was about to become a combination nursery and play room. Not that they were going to keep the kid there, at first. No, he would be staying with them in their room. They even had a crib for the little guy.

Nemu was pregnant with their offspring and at this point, she was almost four months along. She'd been pregnant at the meeting but Szayel hadn't been optimistic about her chances at that point. Now he was pretty sure they were going to have a live baby, so Grimmjow wanted everything ready in their little nest. Karin and Yuzu were taking up two of the bedrooms and Renji had the third, so the baby would have to stay with them. It was probably better that way anyway. Grimmjow vividly remembered his children as a living man, and they'd always slept with him and his wife the first couple years. By the time the brat needed his own room, Karin would probably be at the shinigami academy. They housed the students there, so her room would be free. Yuzu would likely still be with them but that was fine, she could help Ichigo with the child.

Grimmjow smiled as he looked over the room. Ichigo was working on the wallpaper. It was an open thing, and two walls were going to be painted while the third would have colorful children's wallpaper. The colors were reasonably gender neutral, soft blues and yellows. Grimmjow was hopeful that they would eventually have more. Szayel had spliced together plenty of eggs and had them on ice now. How many would be capable of taking was the problem, but he wanted this room decorated with an eye towards both girls and boys.

"Looking good shinigami." Grimmjow said and Ichigo glanced over at him with a small, almost pensive smile. The Espada frowned then sighed to himself. Ichigo wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about this as he was. That worried him, since the teen would be doing the lion's share of the baby raising. Still, there was nothing he could do about it and he couldn't believe for one moment that Ichigo would be unkind to the kitten. He'd just have to see it to fall in love.

Cheered by that thought, Grimmjow went back to his painting. By the time they were done they were both hungry and ready for lunch. Yuzu and Karin were both off at school but there were bento boxes in the fridge, courtesy of Yuzu. Grimmjow tucked into his with good cheer, taking out a beer to go with it. He might not need to eat but it definitely felt good after a hard day's work. However, he noticed that Ichigo was only picking at his food.

"You feeling okay?" He asked and the shinigami paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." Ichigo said quietly and Grimmjow frowned. It didn't take a genius to figure that for a lie, but what was wrong? "I'm just worried about what kind of a parent I'll be. I don't want to be like my dad." That made the arrancar blink and it occurred to him that he really knew nothing of Ichigo's childhood. Well, how could he? It wasn't the kind of thing that got discussed in the bedroom.

"What was he like?" He asked and Ichigo smiled sadly before telling him a bit about Kurosaki Isshin. Grimmjow lifted an eyebrow at some of the stories about his antics. "Doesn't sound like much of a pack leader." Ichigo gave him an odd look before shaking his head.

"He wasn't. Is that how you think of yourself? A pack leader?" He asked and Grimmjow nodded.

"Of course. It's kind of a shitty pack, since your sisters can't hold my back, but it's what I've got." Ichigo looked confused and he decided to explain. "Look, pets are the bottom of the ladder. You know that." The shinigami's lips tightened for a moment before he nodded. "That means that technically, your sisters are above you in the pack." He stated and Ichigo looked disbelieving. "If this were a proper pack, they'd be my fraccion and they'd be able to order you around. Of course, they're pluses so it's not really the same. Proper fraccion would watch my back and help me out in a fight." Grimmjow gazed away for a moment, remembering. He didn't really regret losing his old fraccion – life was cheap in Hueco Mundo – but sometimes he missed having people he could count on in a pinch. Although… "At least I've got you. If the shit ever hits the fan I can call you in." Ichigo wouldn't be as good as he could be – would Aizen ever give him back his sword? – but he was pretty good. Speaking of which… "Hey, you want to go spar?"

"Absolutely!" The thought suddenly put life into Ichigo's eyes and Grimmjow was a bit taken aback by the enthusiasm. "I've been working on a new hado spell, I want to try it out. We'll need to go to the Division, though. It's level forty-three." He said and Grimmjow winced slightly at the thought of that backfiring. There'd be another crater in the backyard.

"Yeah, sure." They were doing most of their sparring away from the house now anyway. It was just too dangerous with kidos going any which direction. And since Ichigo had kido, Grimmjow was more willing to use cero. Another thing that wasn't good in a residential neighborhood. "The paint needs to dry before we do another coat anyway. Want to let the food settle a bit before we go?" The beer in particular gave him the burps. Ichigo grinned for a moment and Grimmjow scowled. He knew exactly what the teen was thinking. "I'll be fucking fine!"

"I told you we shouldn't spar after you drank six beers." He said and Grimmjow growled softly. That had been a dumb idea, but half a case of beer was great for making stupid decisions. "I still can't believe you threw up on Renji."

"Oi." Grimmjow protested but without much heat. That had been memorable, to say the least. Some teasing was in order. "You shouldn't talk, Mr. Blew Up the Backyard. And you did that stone cold sober." He added as Ichigo winced before raising his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Want to play a quick game of cribbage?" He said and Grimmjow nodded. Soon they were playing and as usual, Grimmjow was losing. He was getting better though. Maybe someday he'd even win.

He wasn't very good at board games but he was willing to keep trying.

* * *

A month later, something highly unusual and rather dreadful happened.

It was supper time and they were all at home when the doorbell rang. To say Grimmjow was peeved would be an understatement. He'd just been about to bite into a bean and steak burrito. He put the food down with a scowl and Ichigo frowned, reaching into his pocket for his bracelets. He quickly popped them on and checked the settings before attempting reiatsu sensing.

That was one of the things the books covered and Ichigo had discovered that without the reiatsu restraints, his own out of control reiatsu overwhelmed his ability to sense things. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to fix that, but the restraints provided a quick and dirty solution. Turning his attention outwards Ichigo closed his eyes as he tried to figure out who was at the door. One reiatsu was definitely arrancar and the other was shinigami…

Then a gross laugh interrupted his thoughts and Ichigo opened his eyes with a scowl. The expression was mirrored on Renji's face and Karin frowned as Yuzu glanced between them, sensing the sudden tension in the air.

"You want WHAT? Fuck you!" Grimmjow's voice suddenly reached the kitchen and Ichigo and Renji exchanged a glance before standing. That didn't sound good. They both quickly walked over and saw what was happening. Grimmjow was outside now, on the front steps. He was glaring at the two people in front of him. Yammy was scowling right back as Byakuya kept his gaze fixed on the ground, probably wishing he wasn't there. Ichigo tried not to look at him. It was painful, seeing the proud noble brought so low. "Ichigo." Grimmjow growled and Ichigo looked at him, surprised. Bright blue eyes seemed to pierce him before narrowing and he blinked as the Espada sent him a wordless order through the Claim. _Girls. Safe. Now._ It was disjointed and clearly a huge effort for Grimmjow but he got the idea and didn't need to be told twice. "No, I will not lend you my pets!" He heard as he ran back into the house and grabbed Karin and Yuzu. Ignoring their protests he took them out into the back yard and then got Karin to ride him piggy back as he carried Yuzu. Thinking fast, he decided to drop them off at the academy. It was closed but there was a playground there, as well as an athletic field. They could hang out there and be safe enough until he got back.

"Ichi-nii, what the hell is going on?!" Karin demanded but Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't know but it's not good. Just stay here until I get back." He said and quickly shunpo'd out. Just in time to feel Grimmjow and Yammy clashing. "Damn!" Even fighting in their sealed forms they might damage the house. And he could feel Byakuya's power as the shinigami was forced to fight. He was a master at kido, which would probably let him wipe the floor with Renji. Neither of them had weapons and Renji needed Zabimaru more than Byakuya needed Senbonzakura.

When he arrived things were really getting messy. Grimmjow was trying to be careful of the neighbors but Yammy couldn't care less and the grinning goon kept throwing bala at his opponent. Grimmjow was countering them with sonido and his sword, not letting any of the blows hit the surrounding houses. He even absorbed a few with his body, to Ichigo's surprise. Renji was as badly outmatched as he'd thought, trying desperately to use kido against someone who was at least twice as good. Fortunately, Yammy had ordered Byakuya to fight, not kill and he was attempting to use restraining kido against Renji. Ichigo checked his restraints and verifying he was at a quarter power, his current safe setting, he joined the fight.

"Break-Piercing Triple Beam!" He didn't really want to hurt Byakuya either so he went for a binding spell. Unfortunately the noble shattered it easily. "Oh damn." Ichigo bit his lip then yelped as a kido hit him, knocking him down and pinning him. Twisting his fingers he reached for the jewels on his restraints. With more power he could break –

Then he winced as another reiatsu washed over him. There was a vicious hiss of metal and both the arrancar leapt away from each other as Shinso went between them, separating them before coming to a halt just before a street sign. Gin smiled at all of them cheerfully before returning his zanpakuto to the resting position.

"Now! What's goin' on over here? Ya know, ya shouldn't be fightin' in the street! Makes us all look bad, hey?" He said with his usual, foxy smile.

"Well tell this prick to lend me his pets! He's only the Sexta, I'm the Cero!" Yammy said and Grimmjow bristled, snarling.

"They are my fucking pets! I don't have to tell them to do shit for you! Go find a second if you fucking well want one! Oh wait, you can't, you've got 'too much reiatsu' and Starrk's a greedy fuck. Well, you know what? You can fuck yourself!" Grimmjow said succinctly and Gin's smile widened with genuine amusement.

"Well, I guess I know what's goin' on over here. Hey, Yammy, what d'you want Grimm's pets for? Ain't pretty boy here good enough for ya?" Gin asked and Ichigo saw Byakuya's eyes flicker, saw the tiny hint of steely hate in those orbs. Then he dropped his gaze, a defensive measure. Yammy growled.

"I want a threesome." He snarled and Ichigo paled, feeling like he might puke. Yammy had wanted to make them…? Renji also looked like he might be sick. "And no one else is interested except Nnoitra and that girl of his ain't strong enough." Gin started to say something then suddenly stopped, an arrested expression on his face.

"Wait, you asked everyone?" He said and Yammy nodded. "You asked Ulquiorra?" Yammy looked a little confused as to why that was important and nodded. Gin just sighed and slowly shook his head as Grimmjow laughed. It was a short, sharp barking sound. "Oh Yammy, Yammy… ya really are dumb as fuck, ya know? I guess we should be glad we ain't replacing the Cero right now. Ulquiorra doesn't flip his shit often but when he does, whooeee!"

"Oh come on, she's just another pet." Yammy said, dismissing Gin's concern. The shinigami shook his head again.

"She's a pregnant pet." He corrected and Ichigo froze at the thought. Orihime was pregnant? Yammy blinked and suddenly looked a little worried. "Whatever. Look, Grimmjow might be beneath you when you're unsealed but ya know, ya can't unseal in the town. So technically you're the Tenth an' he's the Sixth. Leave him alone, alright? This is a damned stupid thing to fight over." Gin said, then added plaintively. "An' I want to go back to supper. We were having the most amazing sea urchins an' Aizen's waitin' for me." The threat of Aizen's displeasure penetrated Yammy's thick skull and he scowled.

"Oh fine, fine! I don't give a shit. Come on pet." He snapped at Byakuya who bowed slightly before following him. Ichigo noticed that he didn't seem to say much. But then, what was there to say? Gin vanished in a burst of shunpo and Grimmjow scowled as he sheathed his sword.

"Red, stay here in case that fucker comes back. Ichigo, let's get the girls." He ordered and Ichigo nodded.

What they found at the academy, though, raised Grimmjow's already elevated blood pressure. It didn't do much for Ichigo, either. He was horrified to see his sisters surrounded by a group of four girls. Karin had Yuzu behind her and was clearly trying to protect her. If it had just been Ichigo he would have gotten them out of there, but he wouldn't have hurt the girls attacking them. They were all teenagers, not much older than his sisters.

Grimmjow had no such qualms. He grabbed one of the girls by her hair and tossed her away roughly before slapping aside another one, with enough force that blood went flying. The other two went white as they realized what they were facing but neither of them had shunpo. Grimmjow slapped one and kicked the other in the stomach. He was pulling his blows, massively, but they would both be in pain for days. Ichigo found he didn't have a lot of sympathy for them as he went to Karin and Yuzu, hugging them and trying to comfort them. Karin wasn't willing to take his comfort but Yuzu clung to him, sobbing.

"I thought I told you to take them somewhere safe!" Grimmjow snarled at him and Ichigo bit his lip. He'd clearly failed that one, big time. "Hmph… listen up you stupid bitches. If you touch my girls again I will rip your fucking heads off and piss down the hole! You got it?!" He shook one of the girls by the collar of her shirt and she nodded, sobbing hysterically. "Good." He tossed her aside, growling softly as he went to Ichigo's side. "Karin. Come here, I'm carrying you." He said and she grimaced but nodded, going to him and letting the Espada pick her up. "This was such a good day. Why are people so fucking stupid?"

"I don't know Grimm. Yuzu, Karin, how long has this been going on?" Ichigo asked softly and Yuzu sniffed softly. It was Karin who answered.

"A couple months. It's nothing to worry about Ichi-nii." She said firmly and he gave her a disbelieving look as Grimmjow set her down on their doorstep. He gently put down Yuzu and glanced around, looking for any damage to the house and the neighborhood. There was nothing and he felt very grateful towards Grimmjow. If he hadn't been careful of Yammy's bala things could have gone so much worse.

"Nothing to worry about? You fucking crazy? The only one who beats on my pack is me!" Grimmjow sounded pissed and Ichigo winced a little at that. "Well, and Aizen, but not those fucking ants! You girls belong to me!"

"Hey! We belong to ourselves, asshole!" Karin snapped back as Yuzu gave the Espada a watery smile. Grimmjow just snorted as he went back to the supper table. Everything was still there including a rather depressed looking Renji. He'd gotten out some saki and was drinking it. The sight of Byakuya was guaranteed to make him upset.

"Karin, Yuzu. Maybe a different school?" Ichigo asked quietly, looking at his sisters in concern. They could find a different school to enroll them in although it would be further away. Karin shook her head as Yuzu sniffled.

"Don't bother. We can't exactly hide you and Grimm. And the teachers are good here, they don't let anything happen during class. We just have to avoid the bitches the rest of the time." Karin said and Ichigo felt his heart breaking for them a little. His sisters had no real friends. "Oi! Stop beating up on yourself. We do have a few friends in the neighborhood." She said gruffly and Ichigo blinked, a little surprised. "A few of the kids here aren't mad at us."

"Mad? Oh." Ichigo flinched as he understood. The girls at the academy weren't mad at his sisters, they were angry with him. Angry about his failure… then he blinked as he felt Yuzu gently tugging his arm.

"Don't worry Ichi-nii. We love you." She said softly and he smiled before hugging her. That helped, it really did. Then there was a call from the dining room.

"Oi! You guys gonna eat? The foods already cold, fuck Yammy…" Grimmjow was eating it anyway, though, and Ichigo smiled as they joined the Espada at the dinner table. Karin got a bottle of wine out of the fridge and he didn't protest as she poured herself and Yuzu small glasses. He hesitated before getting a glass for himself.

It had been an eventful evening and they could all use a bit of relaxing.

* * *

Grimmjow whistled softly as he worked with the rope, slowly tying in some knots.

"You know, you could make this easy and just talk right now." He said idly to the captive shinigami girl. She glared at him. It would have been more intimidating if she hadn't been stark naked and tied up. "You're a good looking girl, but I'm not that into you." After the whole thing with Starrk, Grimmjow had come to terms with the fact that his desires were wedded to Ichigo. Unfortunately, he had a reputation for being really good at certain sexual tortures. So Aizen called on him and what Aizen wanted, Aizen got.

"Fuck you arrancar!" She spat and he shrugged, disappointed but not particularly surprised. Then he walked up to her with the rope and began fixing her up with it. "What – unh!" She grunted in something close to pain as he looped the rope between her legs, exploring her with his fingers to get it positioned in just the right way. It was tucked up into her sex and the knots would rub against her in just the right way when he got started on her. It wouldn't hurt too much, though. That wasn't his style.

Grimmjow wasn't fond of bondage for play, but that was because he considered it an instrument of torture. When it came to punishments and making someone talk, he would use it. He gripped the ropes, bending her down and fixing them to the floor so the front of her body was leaning forward. That would hurt, but it would take a while. The burn would slowly build up the longer she stayed in 'shrimp pose'.

"You do know that Aizen doesn't really care?" He whispered in her ear, pushing his body against her back. He was nearly flush against her and she shuddered at the feel of his body, so close. "If he really cared he'd just use his power to fuck with your mind, get all the answers out. Or he'd have an arrancar Claim you." Grimmjow was pretty sure someone would be Claiming her when this was over. She was a prize, this girl. Not for Yammy or Starrk though. She was strong, about fukutaichou level, but that wouldn't save her from those two. Maybe Halibel would take her. She could use a pet and a female wouldn't be a threat to her little girl. "Then you would tell us everything. Nah… he's just having fun, probably watching us right now. He likes to watch me play." Grimmjow grinned as he felt her shudder in revulsion at the thought. Although he wasn't too keen on it himself. He was used to it, though, and as long as he wasn't the one in the ropes he was okay with it. "Now, let's get started."

The next couple hours were very pleasant for him. Not so much for his victim, but he wasn't letting her get off. This was tease and denial, the kind of thing he'd done to Ichigo just once, when he'd been learning his place. Deft touches and gentle twists of that rope got her fully aroused, while her position gradually became more and more painful. When he undid the rope and let her sit up she groaned softly in relief, her black hair damp with sweat and her turquoise eyes narrowed to slits. She looked at him like she couldn't see him properly, which was likely the case. Her glasses had been taken away.

"This is fun. You're making me hot, girl." He said with a grin and laughed as she snarled. It was half-hearted at best. "Bet you'd like it if I stuck my dick into you." He said, letting the heat into his tone. She shivered and he could easily scent her arousal. He'd been keeping her on the edge of orgasm for a while, he knew she was dying for it. "You want my cock, Lisa?" Grimmjow spoke her name, vaguely wishing she was someone else. Although he wouldn't treat Ichigo this way. Not unless he did something very, very bad, anyway.

"Just do it you asshole!" She flared, not to his surprise. Grimmjow hummed to himself as he played with the rope and leaned down to bite a pert little nipple. "Augh!" She gasped, her back arching as he kept toying her, stimulating her just enough to keep her on the edge without letting her go over.

"You need to do a bit better than that, Visored." He whispered in her ear as she whimpered, those turquoise eyes wide and blank as he tormented her. "Beg for my cock." That was fun and humiliating. Although he should be demanding her to tell them… well, yeah. "Nah, tell me what I want to know. Then I'll fuck you."

"You… don't give… a shit! You just… want me to… beg for your… fucking cock…!" She gasped out and Grimmjow grinned. How right she was.

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to be questioning you. Sometimes I forget." That was the one thing he wasn't too good at, keeping his mind on what he was supposed to be getting out of this. But it didn't matter too much. The juxtaposition between his attentions and Barragans was more mind-breaking than either would have been individually. "You can just beg for my dick if you want." He'd take it. She whimpered, still struggling not to give in.

"Please…" She finally said as he played with slowly played with all of her most sensitive points. She was covered in sweat, her body trembling with need. "D-Do it… please…"

"Do what?" Grimmjow prompted. He wanted her to say it. She whined before suddenly giving in.

"Fuck me! Fuck me, you arrancar bastard!" She cried and he laughed, undoing the rope between her legs and tossing it aside. Then he undid his hakama, sinking into her body in one smooth move. She was incredibly wet, after all the time he'd spent tormenting her and the sound she made sent a shiver down his spine. Oh yeah, she was getting off on this… Grimmjow fucked her from behind, imagining orange hair and a better back, the body he actually craved. She was good, this girl, but she wasn't the one he wanted. She never could be.

He still fucked her, because he was hot and it was his job. She climaxed quickly but Grimmjow wasn't going to let it go at that. He built her up for a second one, stimulating her with his cock and a single hand, exploring her breasts and her clit. The ropes still kept her from moving and she was gasping, thrashing weakly in his lap as her insides clenched around him a second time. Grimmjow let himself go then, let himself take pleasure from her body.

"Ichigo." He growled as he released and felt her stiffen beneath him. But then, she was a Visored. She'd know his pet, for certain. Spent, he just looked at her sweat soaked body for a moment. Then he bent forward, still inside her, and gently stroked back a bit of black hair. "You want to talk now girl? Because I promise, what Barragan will do to you will make this seem like a touch of heaven." He promised, and meant it. "He doesn't like girls, but he sure does like hot irons." He said and saw her shudder. But she shook her head.

"No." She said and he shrugged, pulling out of her body and doing up his hakama. "…How is Ichigo?" She suddenly asked and Grimmjow tilted an eyebrow at her, surprised.

"You're worried about him at a time like this? He's fine. Healthy and with his sisters." That made her lift her head, a bit of surprise in those blue green eyes. "Worry about yourself, girl." Pretty soon that would be all she would have room for, he was sure of it.

Grimmjow had suffered under Barragan a time or two. It was never a pleasant experience.


	17. Baby Powder and Breast Milk

"That's so fucking funny." Grimmjow grinned as he examined the artwork that had been left on the wall. It wouldn't win any prizes or get a showing at an art gallery, but it spelled out the Visored's feelings about Aizen pretty well. "Hah!"

It had taken them a week to wear through Lisa's resistance. That was a long time and honestly, Grimmjow was rather impressed. He wouldn't have withstood it that long… well, not for the Espada. But he mostly didn't give two shits about them and his loyalty to Aizen was indifferent at best. If someone had been torturing him for information on Ichigo and his sisters, now, that might have been different. And the Visored were definitely a tight knit little pack.

She's finally broken though, right after a stint with him. Not because what he'd done to her had been so bad, but because when he was done it meant she was going back to Barragan. Lisa had finally told them everything they wanted to know, the location of the Visored's hangout and the names of all the escapees. There was a surprising number of them. All the Visored had survived along with Urahara, Yoruichi and – to Grimmjow's personal shock – Kurosaki Isshin. They were hiding out in the Living World, keeping a low profile as they evaded the Espada searching for them.

Of course, the week it had taken to get the information ensured that the game would continue. The Visored had been given lots and lots of time to make their escape and they'd done it, leaving behind only cockroaches and graffiti. Grimmjow idly picked through the remains, looking for anything of value.

He didn't find anything of value, exactly. But he did find a picture book that someone had missed, shoved away under a table. Pulling it out he flipped it open, idly curious, and lifted his eyebrows.

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked out loud as he looked at the photos of a rather cute kid holding his mom's hand. At least, he assumed that was Ichigo's mom. Flipping through the rest of the book, he nodded. That was definitely Ichigo and Karin and Yuzu showed up later. Most of the pictures were probably taken by his dad but in a few of them someone else was holding the camera. Grimmjow vaguely wondered where the orange hair had come from. His mom's was more brown than anything and his dad's was black. "Well, he might want this." It wasn't valuable per se, but Ichigo might like to have it. Tucking it under one arm Grimmjow put his hands in his pockets and kept questing for valuables.

This might be a waste of time, but it didn't have to be a complete waste of time.

* * *

Grimmjow stared at the little bundle in Nemu's arms. She was looking down sadly and he could sense her reluctance, but it didn't matter. What mattered was the cream colored little face in her arms.

"Hey." He finally said, his voice unsteady as he carefully took the cloth wrapped little thing from Nemu. The baby didn't stir, taking the transition easily. "He's beautiful." Grimmjow whispered as he looked at that tiny face. Their boy didn't look much like him, not yet. He just looked like a baby and his head was crowned in a soft orange fuzz. "Thank you." He said to Nemu. She hadn't been given a choice in participating, she deserved some thanks. The girl just looked sad and Grimmjow could sense how hard this was for her. She'd nurtured the little one in her body, giving him up was paining her.

"No thanks are necessary Grimmjow-sama." Nemu said softly before explaining how to feed his baby and providing him with the frozen breast milk Szayel had collected. "Judging from Szayel's observations of Shimonami, he may require reiatsu infusions in the milk." She cautioned and Grimmjow nodded.

"The girl drained a bit from Halibel when she fed? Eh, shouldn't be a problem. Ichigo can handle that." Now he was grateful for the kido books. With his new skill and the reiatsu restraints, he'd have no trouble putting in an infusion the baby could use. "We'll take good care of him." He told her and she nodded, still sad. "When does Szayel want him for a checkup?" He was sure that Szayel would want to see their kid regularly. Of all the Espada, he was the only one being allowed regular access to Halibel's pup. Of course, that was because the Tercero couldn't really refuse. Aizen would make sure of that if she tried.

After getting his reporting schedule and some written instructions on baby feeding and changing – complete with diagrams, who had done that? – Grimmjow took his cub home. To his annoyance, Ichigo wasn't at home. For a moment he thought about summoning the teen through the Claim but then he decided against it. He wanted some time with his little one.

"Tigre Jaegerjaquez." He whispered the boy's name, then turned it around. "Kurosaki Tigre." They both sounded good. Which one would they use? Maybe Kurosaki. His own last name didn't really mean anything, Grimmjow wasn't even sure where it had come from. That was something to discuss with Ichigo. Would the teen care about his last name? The baby opened his eyes and Grimmjow smiled as he saw himself in those vibrant blue orbs. "Shit that's so cute." They just stared at each other for a moment, blue meeting blue. Then the little one screwed up his face and started to sniffle. "You hungry or wet?" He asked before checking the diaper. It looked and felt dry to him. "Okay. Feeding time." He gently set the baby on the couch and started getting the milk together. The diagrams and instructions were helpful. He knew how to care for babies, but in his day and age tits were absolutely required for proper feeding. Goats milk and a cloth were an emergency substitute but far from ideal. They certainly hadn't had fancy bottles that mimicked a nipple. Soon he had the milk ready, at just the right temperature. Grimmjow concentrated, infusing it with his reiatsu before offering Tigre the substitute nipple. He took to it easily, sucking vigorously and Grimmjow grinned. It was early to say but he considered that a good sign.

His boy was going to be strong someday.

* * *

Ichigo smiled as he stepped into the house, a small backpack slung over one shoulder.

He'd spent the day in a local park, reading the Slut Diaries. Grimmjow didn't mind if he borrowed them and as it turned out, they were hilarious. They mostly chronicled the adventures of a wizard's apprentice named Ivan. He was hilariously bad at magic and also remarkably attractive to women.

Ivan wasn't the only character in the Slut Diaries, though. There were several one shots but also some other recurring characters. Like Cohan, the extremely homosexual barbarian, Otto the Immortal and Namia, a mercenary with an eye for money and no morals whatsoever. Everything was pretty funny and Ichigo was enjoying it. The little notes on the margins with witty and obscene comments were pretty funny, too. His personal favorite so far was "Sexual innuendo? I can keep it up all night."

Then he heard the cry of a baby and he stopped, his eyes going wide. Grimmjow had said their child would be home soon but Szayel had kept him for several days, monitoring and examining the boy before deeming him ready to go home. Swallowing hard, Ichigo tentatively walked towards that sound.

To his absolute shock, Grimmjow was in the midst of diapering their infant son on the kitchen table. He seemed to have a good handle on how to use a diaper and he puffed a bit of baby powder onto a tiny bottom before finishing putting it on. Ichigo felt paralyzed as he watched, seeing the crown of orange fuzz and the whimpers that died into soft coos.

"He looks like me." He whispered and Grimmjow looked up with a smile. It was the most radiant expression he'd ever seen on the Espada's face. He was so happy it was practically beaming from him.

"Yeah, he does. You want to hold him?" He asked and Ichigo swallowed before nodding. Setting his bag on the floor he slowly walked over and tentatively, carefully took the infant from the Espada. Settling the child in his arms he looked into those blue eyes and felt… he wasn't sure what. Apprehension, mostly. Something close to fear.

"What's his name?" Ichigo asked, still gazing into those bright blue eyes. They seemed so open and curious. Grimmjow chuckled, reaching out with one big hand to stroke that soft hair.

"Tigre. He's Tigre." He said and Ichigo nodded. "Question though… how much does your last name mean to you?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo blinked, pulling his attention away from the baby to stare at him. Was he suggesting…? "Because my last name is just bullshit, I don't even know where it came from. So yeah. If you want him to be Kurosaki Tigre I'm okay with it."

"Kurosaki Tigre." He tasted the name and smiled at the thought. "I… would like that." He knew his dad would have loved it. "It suits him." He was definitely a Kurosaki, with that orange hair. No one could ever deny this baby was his. Of course, no one could deny he belong to Grimm either, with those bright blue eyes.

"Good shit. C'mon, let's get him into his onesie." Ichigo smiled as Grimmjow took back the baby and began easing him into the soft fabric. It was sweet to watch, especially since the Espada seemed to know exactly what he was doing. But then, Grimmjow had raised three kids in the far off past. And from the way he'd described his wife, she wouldn't have let him sit on the sidelines and watch.

Maybe this would turn out better than he'd thought.

* * *

"Oh my gosh Ichi-nii he is so cute!" Yuzu squealed as Karin tried to look tough and unaffected. But Ichigo could tell from the soft look on her face when she looked at Tigre that she was falling victim to his insane cuteness, too.

He was incredibly cute. Right now the little baby, in an astonishing display of flexibility, had put a socked foot in his mouth and was trying to suck on his toes. Bright blue eyes were half closed in bliss as he gummed on the sock and Grimmjow was chuckling as he watched. Ichigo wondered if it was normal. He'd never seen Karin and Yuzu doing anything like that when they were a few days out of the womb… but then, they hadn't been shinigami/arrancar hybrids, either.

Yuzu picked him up and the foot came out of Tigre's mouth, abandoned in favor of this new and intriguing thing above him. The wide eyed wonder on the infants face was beautiful to behold and he reached up towards his aunt with a soft little sound. Ichigo could almost see Yuzu melting into a puddle of maternal instincts and smiled to himself. Tigre was not going to lack for love.

"Yeah, he's great. He'll be a strong hunter someday, won't you fluffy?" Grimmjow grinned as he reached out to stroke that fluffy fuzz and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh.

"Not with a nickname like that, he won't." He said merrily and Grimmjow huffed before devoting his attention to the baby. Tigre was grinning toothlessly, sensing that he was the centre of attention.

Of course, despite the novelty of a brand new baby, life went on. Yuzu finally gave him up reluctantly so she could get supper started and Karin went into the backyard to work on her homework. Grimmjow helped Yuzu, peeling some potatoes as Ichigo held Tigre in the living room. As he watched, the baby gradually began to go to sleep, those blue eyes closing.

"I didn't really want you." He whispered softly to the little one, tears pricking at his eyes. "I didn't plan to make you, but you're here now and I'm going to take good care of you." He promised the sleeping child, placing a gentle kiss on that tiny head. "And I'm going to be a good role model. You'll need one, your other daddy is a prick." He said more loudly, confident that Grimmjow would hear him.

"Oi!" Ichigo smiled at that protest from the kitchen and just held Tigre close. It might not have been how he'd planned his life going, but he loved his young son.

He would take good care of him.

* * *

The next several months passed in a haze of sleep deprivation and general torture.

Not really, but it was close. Grimmjow yawned widely as he slumped into his seat and considered just falling asleep on his desk. But he was supposed to be working. He'd even offered to do this. What the fuck had he been thinking?

He was trying to balance the budget and it wasn't going well. It seemed like these shinigami spent money like it was going out of style. The totals made his head swim but he approached the job with grim determination, making everything come together into a coherent picture.

The overall picture, though, sucked. Grimmjow yawned before sitting back and picking up one of the sheets, sucking on the end of his pen. It wasn't his fault but Renji's balls might be on the line if they couldn't fix this. Why were they exceeding their budget every month? Why were the totals so high? Grimmjow had already ferretted out a bit of creative accounting and a couple shinigami were going to be demoted if they were lucky, but there was more to it than that. Was the budget just too low? Could he justify that to Tosen? If he was, he'd better get all his ducks in order. That had worked pretty good when it came to his personal budget, it should work here. So fighting off the effects of waking up every two hours, the new parent went to work. If the math was okay he needed to look at basic expenditures.

It took a while but finally something jumped out at him, and that was the cost for roofing. Grimmjow knew how much roofs cost in Soul Society. He'd had his done and he'd gotten several price quotes, hunting for the best bargain. He'd still been charged extra for finding a roofer willing to come near him, but that was the breaks. The costs Renji and his team were paying for fixing one of the barracks seemed damned high to him. Grimmjow frowned to himself and tapped the pen against his cheek. Maybe he was wrong, maybe there was something special about this roof. Maybe not, too. Were the suppliers taking advantage of Renji? Maybe he should pull the accounts under Hitsugaya and see if things matched up. In the meantime, though…

"I think this is a job for secret agent Karin." Grimmjow said to himself as he looked over the prices they were paying for other things. He had no idea if the prices were good or not and there was no way for him to find out. If people saw an Espada they'd either overcharge him or undercharge him. Ditto for Ichigo, he was just too well known. But no one knew Karin and she'd probably be willing to help get Red's ass out of a crack. Of course, she'd be buying retail so they would charge her more than they should be charging the shinigami, but that was fine. He could still get an idea about what was a fair price. While Karin was on that he would do some digging in Hitsugaya's old records, see if he could do some rough price comparisons. And if this wasn't the problem he'd at least be able to make a good case with Tosen that they needed a bigger budget.

Either way, he'd make this work.

* * *

"Yo, Red!" Grimmjow barged into Renji's office. He was carrying a full budget report and planned to share the joy with his pet. Renji looked up from his work with a desperate expression. "I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

"The good news. I need some." He said and Grimmjow grinned toothily before dropping a full cost comparison report on his desk.

"Your suppliers are hosing you. Go kick some of their arses up to their ears and get them to drop the prices." He said succinctly as Renji took the report and began looking it over. His frown quickly turned into a scowl as he encountered some of the worst offenders. "Yeah, you're paying triple rate for rice. Nice, eh?"

"Those bastards! I knew each unit is supposed to source their supplies individually but I never imagined…" Renji paused and shook his head. "What's the bad news?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"It's not too bad. Just, I figure we'll probably have to kill someone for this. Maybe several someone's." He said plainly and Renji winced. "Come on Red, we can't let them take advantage of a virgin taichou this way."

"Virgin! You bastard." Renji fumed as Grimmjow grinned. He'd picked that word deliberately. "You're probably right though. If someone tried this when Yamamoto was running things, heads would roll. And it's more than one supplier, it's a lot of them." Renji frowned at the paper for a moment. "How do they think they can get away with this?" He wondered and Grimmjow shrugged, grabbing a cushion and taking a seat.

"Reckon they don't. They just think they can get away with it for a while, make a killing then set up some poor sap to take the blame." He said and Renji scowled even more fiercely. "I think we should take this to the top, hold someone powerful to accounting. Of course, it'll probably be a noble or some shit but I'm an Espada. That's another thing… they probably figure you can't do much against 'em and why should an Espada care about your money problems? Too bad for these fuckers that I take care of my pets, huh?" Grimmjow grinned cheerfully. "I think we should make some examples." He was looking forward to it. Renji thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Do you have any idea of who?" He asked and Grimmjow nodded, producing a list. It was a rather short list and one particular name was underlined. "Omaeda? Grimm, you do realize they lost several people in the defeat?" He said and Grimmjow blinked. It was the first time he'd heard it called that, but then he supposed most shinigami wouldn't put it that way to an arrancar.

"Yeah, so has everyone. And they're responsible for almost half of this shit." He said and Renji bit his lip, looking down. "If we need to make an object lesson, they're the ones. What, you like these people?"

"Not exactly. It's just, Omaeda, Soi Fon's old fukutaichou, he was pretty generous." Renji said softly and Grimmjow tilted his head. "He would sometimes buy us lunch just because he felt like it. He died in the fighting."

"Umph." Grimmjow grimaced to himself. He still didn't have any sympathy for these jackasses, but he could see Renji did. "Well, it's not like it has to be fatal. How about this?" He explained his idea and before he was done Renji was bent over, laughing himself sick. Mostly at the mental picture his words had produced.

"Grimm, the head of the Omaeda clan is… you'll look ridiculous! It'll be like an ant molesting an elephant!" He choked out and Grimmjow snorted.

"Oh, he can't be that big. And I'm not gonna fuck him, that sounds like it'd be nasty. Come on, let's get this shit on the road." If they were going to carry out his plan he was going to do it right now. Word would get back to Gin, Tosen and the rest of the freaks but Grimmjow didn't really care. The other Espada would probably agree with him and if they didn't, oh well.

It wasn't like he cared about their opinions anyway.

* * *

Later, at the palace.

"You _publicly spanked_ the head of the Omaeda clan!" Tosen held up some papers as Grimmjow stuck his hands in his pockets, looking at his superiors with an air of complete unconcern. "Do you know how many protests I've had to deal with today?"

"I dunno. Lots?" He said with a shrug. "I don't know why they're so upset. I wanted to rip his balls off and beat him to death with them but Renji talked me out of it. It would have been fun too." Grimmjow said wistfully. The pompous blowhard who was the current head of the Omaeda clan had really ticked him off. And he'd farted while he was spanking him. Blood would have been preferable, in Grimmjow's opinion at least. Tosen rubbed his forehead.

"They would probably be less upset if you had killed him. Noble clans take their honor seriously, Grimmjow." Tosen explained in a dry, 'you are an idiot' sort of tone. Grimmjow didn't take it too personally. He probably was an idiot compared to either of them. "Now, I've heard all the reasons why I should have you killed. Maybe you should explain why you did this?" Gin was listening with a smile on his face although he hadn't said anything yet. Grimmjow nodded and fished out his little list of price comparisons.

"Here's what Renji's Division was paying per kilo for supplies. This is what they offered to sell the same shit for, to a no name girl off the streets. You see the problem here?" He said as Tosen took the records and frowned. "Fuckers just jacked up the price after the l'il guy died, confident that no one would notice. I've underlined everything the Omaeda clan was responsible for. That's why I picked 'em. Object lesson to all of them." Tosen grunted as he glanced at the totals. Gin looked over his shoulder and shook his head.

"Oh, greedy greedy! Ya got a point there Grimm." He said in a slightly sing-song tone of voice as Tosen sighed. "But next time maybe you should run this kinda thing past us before ya do it, yeah? So we don't stand here goin' uhhhhh, dunno what yer talkin' 'bout when a bunch of nobles come in to protest, ya? We don't like feelin' stupid ya know."

"Oh, sorry." That hadn't occurred to him and it was actually a good point. No wonder Tosen was pissed, he didn't like getting caught with his pants down. Well, no one did… except maybe Ichigo coming out of the shower. Grimmjow forcefully took his mind off that pleasant image and gave his attention back to Gin and Tosen. "I didn't think they'd have the guts to protest so much. I have proof of everything." Although he wasn't entirely sure it was a crime, charging someone a higher price. Not that Aizen would care much about that. "Maybe we should kill a few people too?" There were more people involved than just the Omaeda clan.

"We'll consider it. May I keep this?" Tosen asked and Grimmjow nodded. He'd made a copy, anticipating that request. "In general, I would say your actions are justified. But next time let us know beforehand. As Gin said, we don't like feeling stupid." Grimmjow nodded, trying to look suitably chastised. "You may go."

"Yeah, sure." He said before turning to leave. He and Tosen were getting on a bit better lately… but then, he was figuring out how to handle the shinigami. It helped that Ichigo was always around for tension relief, either in bed or the practice field. Thinking about Ichigo brought his thoughts to Tigre and he speeded up, launching into sonido. Grimmjow wanted to get home to see his kid, hold the li'l guy and smell his sweet baby scent. Breast milk and baby powder, it was the sweetest smell in the world.

With a baby in the house, home was definitely where the heart was.

* * *

"I want to fuck you." That heavy whisper in his ear made Ichigo shudder. The desire that came up, though, was mostly overshadowed by the desire for sleep.

"I'm too tired Grimm. You must be tired too." He said softly, trying to stay as submissive as possible. Denying Grimmjow's lusts was always a bit dangerous for him. Really, the only times he tried it was when he was desperate and right now he was desperate for sleep. The Espada snorted softly.

"Yeah, I am. But it's been almost two weeks since we've fucked, shinigami. I need your body so fucking bad." He growled and Ichigo shivered at the need in that voice. It was true, they hadn't been having much sex lately. Tigre's needs were murder on the libido. "You just lie there. I'll do all the work."

"Huh?" Ichigo made a questioning sound but stayed put, lying away from the Espada on his side. That was his typical sleeping position, it made it easy for Grimm to spoon up behind him. It was also a position they'd never used for sex but he quickly realized what the arrancar intended as a warm hand began to prepare his entrance. Ichigo closed his eyes and just let it happen, let himself feel those gentle fingers exploring him. It felt rather good to his exhausted mind. "Mmm… Grimm? Why did we never have sex like this before?" He asked as the Espada massaged his rump, then began to fondle his cock. There was a soft chuckle behind him.

"Because you can't get a really deep penetration this way, shinigami. This is for slow, lazy shit. Bet Starrk loves it… hah, it's not really my style. But right now I'm too tired for a hard fuck. Let's take this slow." Grimmjow explained and Ichigo nodded. That suited how he felt, too. Grimmjow gripped his thigh, pulling up his leg to give himself room to go in. Ichigo hissed softly as he was penetrated, that big length filling him up and easily finding his prostate.

The sex was slow and lazy, just as Grimmjow promised. Ichigo sighed, just going with the flow, feeling the desire slowly build as big hands caressed him, running across his skin in slow, loving gestures. The Espada was right, this angle didn't allow for deep penetration, but that was fine. The pleasure building inside him caused a fine sweat to break out over his body and Ichigo's breathing speeded up as a hand found his length, stroking him slowly and matching the rhythm of Grimmjow's thrusts. That felt good, very good and he was too tired to deny it.

"You feel so fucking good Ichigo. Shit, I just can't get enough." Grimmjow said, his voice heavy with pleasure and Ichigo shuddered as his thigh was gripped, his body adjusted as the Espada tried for a slightly deeper penetration. "Ah, fuck…"

"You don't have to keep saying that. I know what we're doing." Ichigo murmured and Grimmjow laughed behind him. He didn't slow down for a moment, though. His cock kept stirring Ichigo's insides, making the teen gasp in pleasure.

"Oi, you like those little notes in the margins too, hey? Mmm… so fucking good…" He growled and Ichigo moaned, too deep in the throes of passion and sleep deprivation to bother censoring himself. It wasn't much longer before Ichigo came, his orgasm a moment of beautiful pleasure. The exhaustion afterwards was crushing, though, and Ichigo almost didn't feel it as Grimmjow came inside his body. He definitely didn't feel it when the Espada eased out of him, then cleaned him off with a few tissues. He was too busy falling into an exhausted slumber.

Taking care of an infant was very hard work.


	18. Holding off the Inevitable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The hollows are only showing up to explain what's happening. They most likely won't show up again. I thought of doing a conversation between Aizen and Gin but I'm not too good at handling Aizen, he's smarter than me. XD

Ichigo smiled to himself as he cuddled little Tigre and looked at the birthday cake in front of him.

It was his birthday, July 15th. Tigre was only a few months old, still tiny but growing rapidly. Right now he was sleeping, cuddled up against Ichigo's chest. Yuzu was beaming and Grimmjow was grinning as he brought out the plates. They'd worked together to make a really delicious meal, roasted fish with adzuki bean rice. Also karashi mentaiko for him. Ichigo loved the spicy fish roe dish but it was definitely not Grimmjow's favorite. Not because of the fish roe, but because of the spice. Grimmjow liked his food flavorful but not hot.

"Here, let me take him." Ichigo smiled as he gave up his son to Grimmjow. "I'll hold him while you eat." Tigre was in a clingy mood today and if they tried to put him down he would wake up and start to cry.

"Thank you." He said gratefully as Grimmjow took the baby to the living room, settling down on the couch for a short nap. Tigre settled in on his chest easily, still deeply asleep. It wasn't the down he objected to, it was the loss of human contact. They ate and chatted as Grimmjow napped, but the Espada joined them for the cake.

The cake was gorgeous. Yuzu had been experimenting with a cake decorating kit and it was covered in fondant with basic but very pretty flowers. Karin turned out the lights and Ichigo smiled as they sang to him. Then he did his best to blow out all the candles. Unfortunately, two of them stayed lit. Although he couldn't think of a wish anyway so that was fine. Karin turned the lights back on as Renji cut the cake with a grin.

"Shit that looks great." Grimmjow said, adjusting Tigre so he was cradled in just one strong arm. The little baby opened his eyes, yawned and tangled his hands in Grimmjow's jacket before slowly closing his eyes again. "What's the flavor?" He asked as Renji set out a slice on a plate. "Oh, chocolate?"

"My favorite! Thanks Yuzu." Ichigo took the piece from Renji, feeling touched that everyone was going to so much effort. Grimmjow hadn't done anything for his birthday last year… but the Espada hadn't thought to ask when it was. Come to think of it… "Grimm? Do you have a birthday?" He asked curiously. Ichigo was pretty sure that Grimmjow hadn't celebrated his own birthday last year either. There was a pause and he glanced over at the Espada. He was looking away, his gaze turned inward as he thought.

"Yeah… I did… back when I was alive. It was July 31st." He finally said and Ichigo blinked as Yuzu clapped her hands in delight.

"That's only two weeks away! We should have a party for you too, Grimmjow-kun! What kind of party did you have when you were alive?" She asked innocently and Grimmjow laughed. Renji passed Karin and Yuzu their cake before taking one for himself.

"Nothing like this! Sugar was expensive as hell back then. And cakes like this, they took hours and hours. You had to beat the shit together by hand." Grimmjow explained. "We just gave each other some small gifts… I remember, my woman made me a shirt one year. It was really nice…" The Espada went silent for a moment, his gaze far away. He finally shook his head. "Water under the bridge. Can I have some? Just shove it close." Ichigo pushed a piece over to him and Grimmjow took the fork with his free hand.

"This is really good, Yuzu." Renji complimented her as she beamed. "I got you something too, Ichigo." He said and Ichigo blinked in surprise. Renji didn't get paid anymore. None of the Claimed taichou did, so anything he bought came out of Grimmjow's budget. "Here, it's not much but it was all I could get." Ichigo took the package, wrapped in brown paper, and opened it.

"A wallet! Thanks Renji." Ichigo examined it, a little surprised. It was actually a very nice wallet, made out of fine leather. There was a low chuckle and he looked up at Grimmjow. He was grinning widely.

"You stole that, didn't you Red?" He asked and Renji scowled at him but didn't deny it. "Not like I care. Just don't get caught, I'm not sure what would happen if you did." He cautioned and Ichigo nodded, frowning slightly. Depending on what happened, Grimmjow might be forced to punish his pet. Karin snorted, interrupting the uncomfortable moment.

"Well, I didn't steal this. Happy birthday Ichi-nii!" She gave him his gift and he smiled as he saw it was a set of popular books. One of them he already had, he was still reading it, but the other two were sequels he hadn't picked up yet. Yuzu's gift was a necklace with the kanji for fifteen on it. Ichigo smiled at that and immediately put it on.

"I got you something too. Can you hold the l'il guy?" Grimmjow asked Yuzu who was more than willing to take Tigre. "Thanks. Hang on a sec." He left the room and Ichigo wondered what his gift would be. Then he came back with a… binder? "Check it out." He offered Ichigo the binder – no, photo album. Ichigo opened it and stared as he saw the pictures of himself and Masaki.

"What… where did you get this?" He asked, utterly shocked as he flipped through the pictures. Everything was there, his childhood, Karin, Yuzu… there were fewer pictures though, after Masaki died. Then he reached the spot where the pictures should have stopped, but they didn't. "…" Ichigo's eyes misted over as he saw the new pictures, added to the back of the book. Pictures of little Tigre in his crib, himself holding the baby, Yuzu changing him with a smile on her face… Grimmjow wasn't in the pictures, but who else could have been holding the camera?

"I found it on a trip to the Living World. You like?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded, speechless. He was honestly touched. This showed real caring, the kind of thing that had always been largely absent in their 'relationship'. But then, Grimm was usually pretty tone deaf about human interactions. He tried, sometimes, but he rarely hit the target dead on like this.

"Thank you." He whispered, touching the album. Grimmjow must have added extra pages to it, there was still room for more pictures. "We should… we should take some pictures of you and Tigre together." He deserved a place here too. A big hand rested on his back and Ichigo looked up into blue eyes, smiling at the warmth there.

"That sounds good, but later. Would you like your second gift now?" The heat in his tone… Ichigo blushed, unable to hide it. He knew exactly what that 'gift' would be. Everyone else did too, unfortunately.

"Maybe he'd rather you left him alone, you fucking bastard." Karin snarled and Ichigo winced as Yuzu made a soft, protesting sound. Grimmjow just looked at her, blue eyes meeting grey.

"Oh yeah? Why don't we ask him then. Do you want me to leave you alone, Ichigo?" The seductive purr of that rough voice… Ichigo knew his blush was getting worse but he couldn't help it. He scowled and punched the arrancar in the arm. "Ow." Grimmjow protested mildly as Ichigo gave him a scowl.

"You're doing really well Grimm. Don't ruin it by asking me things like that in front of everyone." He advised before glancing around the table. Yuzu was looking appalled and fascinated, Karin was hostile and Renji looked a bit grossed out. "Yuzu, can you take care of Tigre? I'll handle this." He had an idea for what he was going to do, too. It was time. She nodded hesitantly and Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's hand, leading him to the bedroom.

"You're going to handle this? How do you plan to 'handle' it?" Ichigo sighed to himself at the sexual innuendo and just grabbed the Espada, pulling him into a kiss. "Mph!" That clearly surprised him but Grimmjow adapted easily, pressing him against a wall as he deepened the kiss. When they parted, Ichigo whispered in his ear.

"I forgive you." He said softly and Grimmjow went still for a moment. It was the first time he'd said that. "Just don't do anything like that again, okay? I won't forgive you next time." If Grimmjow threatened his sisters again… there was a brief pause before the Espada spoke.

"Ichigo, I'll do everything I can to keep your sisters safe. I'm not gonna promise not to hurt you, though, because it might happen." A callused thumb gently ran over his jawline, as bright blue eyes looked at him intently. There was something dark in their depths, something Ichigo couldn't read. "Life is hard sometimes. Ya know?" He said softly and Ichigo swallowed before nodding. That was honest, anyway.

"I know." He returned before gripping the Espada's jacket. "Take me from the front this time. I want to see your eyes." He was done fighting it. They had a baby now, they were tied together for at least a decade. And Ichigo would never deny Tigre his father, especially since Grimmjow was actually a good dad. Although… beyond those thoughts was something bigger, something hard to define. Was this love? He honestly wasn't sure. Grimmjow looked shocked for a moment, then grinned. It was a wide, toothy grin.

"Sure. I'd love to see your eyes." From the heat in his voice, Grimmjow had been longing for this for a while. Ichigo wasn't too surprised. He might not know what love was, but after seeing the Espada with his son he was sure the arrancar was capable of it.

What followed next was deeply passionate. Grimmjow kissed him deeply, working on his clothes as Ichigo eased off his jacket. That was different, they usually just undressed themselves… but it felt nice, more intimate. He began working on the Espada's hakama, freeing him from its confines as the arrancar kissed his neck and undid the ties to his hakama. Soon they were both naked and Ichigo gasped as big hands explored his body, as Grimmjow's body slowly rubbed against him. The feel of those hard muscles against him was intoxicating and Ichigo gripped blue hair, pulling the arrancar into another kiss. If he was going to do this, he was really going to do this. There would be no holding back.

Grimmjow adjusted himself slightly and big hands massaged his rump before a single finger breached his entrance, slick with lube. Ichigo moaned softly then bit his lip, holding back the sound. Grimmjow laughed softly, enjoying the reaction he was getting.

"You really like having something in your ass, don't you?" Even now, he couldn't stop the dirty talk and Ichigo honestly didn't want him to. It was arousing, he couldn't deny it. "I can't wait to stick my cock in there while I look into your face." The naked desire in that rough voice made him swallow hard. Then a second finger joined the first, slowly scissoring him. "You even feel good around my fingers. You're the only one I want, Ichigo."

"I want you too." He breathed, looking into those blue eyes. "Fuck me, Grimm." Another moment of shock, followed by a wide grin. Then the fingers were gone and Ichigo groaned softly as the Espada began easing inside. He was taking it slow this time, almost painfully slow and Ichigo gasped as he fully seated himself.

"My pleasure." The Espada said before the real sex began. Ichigo gripped his shoulders, feeling the intensity of the moment as Grimmjow took him. The heavy length filled him in all the right ways, battering his insides and easily finding his prostate. Ichigo gasped as a few droplets of pearly cum splattered on his belly, oozing from the tip of his throbbing erection. Grimmjow reached between them and grasped his manhood, jerking him off as they fucked. Ichigo jolted as a thumb went over his head, digging into the sensitive flesh. Blue eyes met brown again and for the first time, Ichigo really saw the lust in Grimmjow's face, the intense pleasure he was taking from this. It was so powerful it took his breath away and he wondered if he looked the same.

Then the pleasure wiped away any thought of that and Ichigo gave himself over to the rutting, just enjoying the attention the Espada was lavishing his body with. Then an evil thought came to him and he gave into it immediately.

"Harder, faster…!" He gasped out and grinned as Grimmjow froze for a moment, surprised. Then the Espada laughed, kissing him deeply before taking him harder and faster. Ichigo moaned into his mouth, enjoying the feeling. Grimmjow hadn't died of shock, but he had responded very well to that.

Both of them were headless of the sounds they were making, too caught up in the passion of the moment. Ichigo bit Grimmjow's shoulder in the middle of his pleasure and the Espada gasped, nipping his throat as he roughly squeezed the teen's erection, bringing him closer and closer to orgasm. Ichigo held it back as long as he could but finally he arched with a cry, feeling the incredible pleasure roll over him as his cum sprayed out, painting Grimmjow's hand and his own belly and chest. The Espada howled as he came, thrusting in wildly for a moment before he went still. Ichigo could feel the pulse of his member, the heat filling his body and it didn't disgust him. It felt right.

They slowly came down from the high, just staring at each other. Grimmjow's blue eyes were tired and satisfied, warm and content. He lowered his head and they kissed slowly, tenderly for a moment. Ichigo sighed softly, feeling tired and happy. Big hands slowly stroked his sides, gently touching him.

"Is this love, Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked and he hesitated a moment. Was the Espada really capable of the emotion? He still wasn't sure, but…

"I think so Grimm." Ichigo whispered back before he nuzzled his lover. Because he really was, now. They were lovers, not just a master and pet. Although the arrancar still held his leash.

As long as the Claim existed, that couldn't change.

* * *

The next morning, Ichigo could tell something wasn't quite right.

Something was preying on Grimmjow's mind. He picked on his food and instead of leaving with Renji, he stayed a bit longer. Karin and Yuzu had already left so Ichigo was certain the Espada had something to say to him.

"What's wrong Grimm?" Ichigo asked as he gently played with Tigre. The little baby was moving around more now, starting to crawl and making sounds that resembled words. It was early for that but Szayel said he was growing more quickly than a shinigami child would. His rough estimate was that Tigre would be adult by the time he was nine years old. That made him a bit sad, in a way. He was enjoying his son's childhood… but if that was how it had to be that was fine. He couldn't change it. The Espada sighed, running a hand through his hair and turning towards him.

"It's just… I meant to tell you this last night but I thought it'd ruin the mood." He said and Ichigo frowned. What was the Espada so worried about? Because he did seem to be worried. "That photo book, I found it when we raided the Visored's old hangout." Grimmjow said and Ichigo stiffened.

"The Visored? Are they…?" He said, dreading the answer. Grimmjow shook his head.

"They're fine, except that Lisa chick. She's Claimed by Halibel now." He said and Ichigo swallowed before nodding. At least Halibel wouldn't harm her much although he didn't want to know what had happened to her before that. "See… that thing… I think it was your dads." Ichigo felt the breath freeze in his chest. Was Grimm saying…? "Lisa said he's alive, along with Kisuke and that Yoruichi chick. He was hanging out with them."

"Oh kami." Ichigo whispered, not caring if Aizen was in the King's throne. This was huge. "Dad? He's really…?" Tears stung his eyes and he sniffed as Grimmjow put an arm around his shoulders. "Dad…" He hadn't been the best dad and Ichigo didn't want to be like him, but he was still so glad to find out Isshin was alive. Grimmjow gently squeezed him and Ichigo looked into concerned blue eyes.

"That's why I can't promise not to hurt you. I might have to fight him, someday. I might have to bring him in." The Espada said softly and Ichigo swallowed before nodding. He understood that. He didn't like it, but he understood it.

"If you – if you caught him, would you Claim him?" He asked, almost dreading the answer. The thought of that seemed horrifically wrong on many, many levels. Grimmjow grimaced and shook his head.

"That would be so fucking wrong, like incest or something… and no, I can't. I'm using too much reiatsu on you and Red. There are limits and I'm not Starrk." He said and Ichigo nodded. He was honestly relieved. Although the thought also terrified him because what would happen to his dad, if he was caught? "Don't worry about it. Aizen isn't too interested in bringing them in. I think he's enjoying playing with them or some shit." Grimmjow sounded cynical and Ichigo nodded again. That did sound like Aizen.

"I won't hold it against you if you have to fight him." He finally said. It was only fair, it wasn't like Grimmjow had any kind of choice. Then Tigre began to fuss, grabbing his leg and trying to get his attention. Grimmjow smiled as he reached down to fluff his young son's hair.

"Thanks. Well, see you later." He said and Ichigo nodded, watching the Espada go. He turned his attention back to Tigre again, trying to put thoughts of Isshin out of mind. Although he'd have to tell his sisters about this.

They needed to know their father was alive.

* * *

Ichigo was playing with Tigre in the garden when it happened.

_Sh-sh-sh…_ Ichigo froze as he heard that echoing voice in his head. His hollow had been so silent that he'd almost forgotten it existed. _Shit… fuck… King, what in hell are you doing?!_ That sleepy voice quickly came to full awareness and Ichigo scowled. _Hey, what's that?_ Ichigo sighed to himself, rubbing his forehead as he watched Tigre trying to stalk a butterfly. It was very cute, especially the way his little bottom wiggled.

"That's my son. Why don't you just go back to sleep? I don't need you anyway." He replied, knowing he sounded crabby. But his hollow had been gone for over a year, leaving him to face all his problems by himself. As far as Ichigo was concerned he could go straight to hell. But his hollow spoke, sounding almost panicked.

_Well fuck! Don't just sit there! Grab him and hide or something!_ The hollow said urgently and Ichigo blinked. Hide? _What is that? It's fucking creepy as shit! Move it King!_

"Wait, what's creepy? What's going on?" Ichigo asked before he gathered Tigre in his arms. The baby squirmed, still looking at the butterfly intently.

_Your reiatsu sensing is still absolute shit… something is watching us, King._ His hollow said and Ichigo blinked, suddenly remembering Starrks' 'incorporeal stalker'. Was that what his hollow was talking about? _And it doesn't like us. Get the kid inside, would you?_ Ichigo chewed his lip for a moment before reaching into his pocket. _Hey!_

"Shut up. I don't trust you." He muttered. He was going to feel this for himself. Snapping on the reiatsu limiters he sat down, holding Tigre in his lap as he closed his eyes and entered Jinzen. If he was going to pick up something this would be the best way –

_Watching._

Ichigo's eyes opened as the feeling of something _watching_ him almost slapped him in the face. And his hollow was right, it was menacing. Swallowing hard he quickly went back into the house and took a deep breath. Aizen had called all the 'pets' to the meeting for this. They were expected to report if they felt anything, not just the Espada. He was the first 'pet' to be stalked, but he had an inner hollow and vast reiryoku. Maybe it wasn't surprising… still carrying Tigre, Ichigo left the house and launched into shunpo. He wasn't eager to have Aizen at the house but something had to be done.

He didn't want that unfriendly regard anywhere near his infant son.

* * *

"Hxlprxgh." The ancient hollow stirred, pulling himself out of the sand and shaking off his wings. "I am so. Fucking. Tired." He rarely swore, which only underlined the intensity of his feelings. "Rin? My love? I need a backrub." That was a flat out lie. Bone didn't allow for such things. His mate laughed as she pulled herself out of the sand. They had burrowed into it, hiding from any possible predators. Although only an idiot of an adjuchas would attack a vasto lorde. There were plenty of idiots in the world, though.

His offspring cheeped and Vandular gently picked up the tiny pup. Little bat wings flapped as he settled the little one on his shoulders. She was still nursing and much too young to be out of the den. It was insane that they didn't have a den… yet, there was very little choice. Instead of being curled up comfortably in the nest while he brought home kills, he and his mate were constantly travelling. Not to mention…

"We caught you breakfast papi!" Vandular lifted his head as his two daughters arrived. They had two kills, actually, decently powerful adjuchas. "We found a pack and picked a couple off! Do you need more?" Dulce asked eagerly. She was very humanoid, with blueish bone that shaded to white on her joints and chest. Most of her face was uncovered, an unusual thing for a vasto lorde. She had a chin guard of bone and another strap around her forehead, reminding him of a tiara. The face revealed reminded him strongly of his own, when he'd been alive, but her skin and hair were pure white and her eyes were black and gold.

"No, this should be fine." He said politely before taking the more powerful kill for himself. Rin took the other, to feed her body so she could produce milk for their young. Koneko was still too small to feed directly from other hollows. "Thank you." He said to both his daughters, glancing at the other briefly. Amargo was quite different from her sister. Her bone had a reddish tinge, shading to white in the same way as her sister, but she had a full mask of bone with wavy red lines on one side. Her hair and horse tail were a honey gold and her eyes were dark blue, reminiscent of her mother. Van had enjoyed his time with that female, but they had never really been in love. They had parted on good terms after raising a beautiful pair of twins.

"How much longer can we do this, love?" Rin asked worriedly and Vandular sighed to himself. The answer pained him. He really didn't want to be doing this for years, but…

"I think we can hold out for perhaps five years." It was only a guess. They might last longer, particularly since he wasn't the only great old one engaging in this activity. One of the others had lived through the last incursion and they had both enlightened the remaining two. What the demon was doing was open to question but Vandular was sure the minotaur and the sea monster were doing what they could. "After that you will go to Soul Society." He said firmly. "Damn the usurper." He growled to himself.

Aizen was the cause of the problem. His lack of control of the Soul King's throne meant that there were certain things he simply could not do, and ensuring the thickness of the fabric of reality was one of them. To his very tiny credit, the usurper was aware of the problem. He was using his vast reiatsu and the command he did have of the Throne to shore up the walls of reality in Soul Society. But he was doing nothing at all for Hueco Mundo and the Living World. So the great old ones of the hollow race were doing what they could, spending their own life energies in an effort to hold back the horror that was struggling to emerge. That meant they had to feed and feed well, so they had each recruited lesser vasto lorde to accompany and support them. Vandular had easily gotten his children to follow. He suspected the minotaur had done the same, but the sea monster and the demon had no progeny. He didn't want to think about how they had collected followers, but it didn't matter. This simply had to be done.

_The Living World will break first._ Vandular was absolutely certain of that. Whatever forces were there would be weaker than the great old ones and Aizen. They might not even know what they were dealing with and if they didn't, they had no hope of preventing it. The Living World was also the least critical of the three so Aizen would sacrifice it, letting it fall first if he had to. That was actually good sense. The thing coming through could not feed on ordinary humans, a certain level of reiryoku was required. _Then Hueco Mundo. Soul Society will be last._ That was why he would send his mate and child there, after the breakout finally came. They would have trouble hunting there but it would still be safer.

"What about you Van?" Rin sounded deeply concerned and Vandular sighed to himself. He couldn't blame her, but…

"I'll do what I can." He said briefly and his mate wasn't the least bit reassured. For very good reason. He would likely die, spending his life in a final effort to prevent the three worlds from coming apart. Without a proper Soul King, though, his efforts would ultimately be futile. The last breakthrough had come about quite differently. The walls of reality had been breached in a specific point, not generally weakened. This was worse, much worse. "Eat, love. We need to keep moving." Time was against them. They were fighting a rearguard action, but it was ultimately doomed to failure. Vandular grimly hoped that the usurper could finally claim the Throne properly.

He might be an evil creature, but the ancient hollow knew no other way to prevent disaster.


	19. A Coyote's Dreams

Starrk lay on his cushions, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

He really wasn't sure he should bring up his thoughts to his pets. He hadn't seen Grimmjow's child yet but Szayel had crowed about his achievement to all of them. To his knowledge, the Octava was trying to seed Nemu with his own child and using other shinigami from the 12th Division as surrogates for some of the others. The Coyote sincerely hoped Yammy didn't succeed in his request and if he did, he hoped the offspring took after the Kuchiki noble. Vaguely, he wondered what kind of father Yammy would be. It was cringe worthy but there was nothing he could do about that ugly situation. Forcing his thoughts away, he went back to his own conundrum.

Starrk had no idea how his mates would react to the thought of their own child. However, he had to admit that he was keenly interested in making one. The thought of having his own offspring, holding the little one in his arms… that would be a salve on his wounded soul. After so long alone, he could even have a child. One thing he'd always wished for in the endless night of Hueco Mundo was to meet another vasto lorde who could tolerate his brutal reiatsu. He'd never dared dream it might be a female. Female hollows were rarer than males for good reason…

Closing his eyes, Starrk sighed to himself. Even if he had a child, what kind of parent would he be? He lived a nocturnal existence, although he conducted his patrols as quickly as he could. Still, he would mostly be there for the child in the evening and morning. It didn't seem like much. And his need for sleep would get in the way, too. And who would raise it? Juushiro and Shunsui both had their duties. Could Lilinette take care of a child? Starrk was reluctant to put that kind of responsibility on his other half. He doubted she would hurt it but he could easily see her being neglectful and while he couldn't remember his own life as a living man, he had a very unpleasant suspicion his childhood had not been good. The pain of loneliness hadn't started in Hueco Mundo. No… that had just been a continuation of his lonely existence.

Starrk started to drift to sleep and as he did, dreams began to form from a haze of ancient, half-formed memories. He wouldn't remember them clearly when he woke up but they sang of pain, a life that hardly seemed worth living to the ancient hollow. There were brief flashes, strange images and people, things that made him want to forget. How could one mortal heart hold so much pain? It was no wonder he'd become a hollow. The only surprise was that he hadn't become a monster in life, only in death…

He finally woke up naturally, a rare occurrence, and sat up with a yawn before running a hand through his hair. The shower that followed was ten minutes at the most. He loved hot baths but showers were simply a matter of cleanliness. Feeling refreshed and ready for the day, Starrk quickly dried himself and put on his uniform. Pausing, he looked at himself in the mirror.

After the Victory, he'd decided there was no reason to limit himself to one uniform style. Resources had been a bit scarce before and he hadn't wanted to waste the numero's time and efforts with something as frivolous as new uniforms. But with his own allowance and Shunsui and Juushiro's support, he'd decided to indulge himself a bit. What he was wearing now was a free flowing white vest with a black collar. It revealed his chest and hollow hole and Starrk honestly thought it was a good look for himself. His pants were black and white, strongly resembling his resurrection. Smiling, he placed a small clip in his hair. It was a gift from Shunsui, a delicate pinwheel that matched the pins the shinigami wore in his hair.

When he got to the supper table, though, Starrk knew something was wrong. He could easily scent the blood in the air and his lip curled as he felt the reiatsu in the room. It was only a residue but it belonged to Aizen. If that hadn't been enough, Shunsui was looking drained and Juushiro was pale and silent, looking into his tea. If the blood scent had been coming from him Starrk wouldn't have been so angry. Distressed, but not angry. Something about Juushiro's illness was very, very familiar to him and he knew what to expect. But the blood scent was coming from Shunsui.

"What happened?" He asked bluntly before taking his seat at the table. Lilinette wasn't there, fortunately. She would find the blood scent appetizing and would likely have to be slapped away. She didn't find Juushiro's blood appealing but that was another aspect of his illness. Shunsui sighed softly before smiling slightly and lifting his tea.

"I was quite insubordinate today, I'm told. Aizen-kami was not pleased." He said lightly and Starrk growled, a low, guttural sound.

"He oversteps himself. I should be the one to issue punishments to my pets." That was proper hollow pack hierarchy. Any hollow in a pack could own a pet but if they did, they were the one to issue any punishments. The pack leader might demand a pet be punished, but they would not simply do it unilaterally when the owner of said pet was away. Shunsui smiled with sad amusement and just sipped his tea.

"Forgive me, but I would prefer to be whipped by Aizen than him force you to whip me." That was a splash of cold water on Starrk's anger and he dropped his eyes to the table before taking a small piece of bread. Supper today was very simple and again, oddly familiar to him. Heavy rye bread, sausage with onions and a potato salad. They usually had Japanese food but not always and today Mia was clearly venturing elsewhere.

"I suppose you're right. But I should still remind him the next time I report. I would prefer to handle such things myself… I can at least be less rough." He said quietly as he bit into his bread. The rye was so thick and heavy, he had to swallow hard to get it down. Remembering, he reached for the butter. This kind of bread was no good without butter. "If you want to speak about it…" If Shunsui didn't want to talk about what had gotten him whipped, he would respect that. Shunsui just shook his head. It was Juushiro who responded.

"Several members of his clan were killed yesterday." He said softly. "Tosen and Gin ordered it, and Barragan carried it out." Starrk wasn't surprised at that. Barragan would not hesitate and his commanding presence, along with that huge axe of his, made him a truly intimidating executioner. "It was over a problem with supplies for Renji's Division. Shunsui protested that they were innocent of any wrongdoing… words became heated." Starrk was sure that was putting it mildly. He closed his eyes for a moment before nodding.

"I heard of that. Apparently the Omaeda clan got off rather lightly, thanks to Grimmjow's odd ideas." The head of the clan probably didn't think so, but the rest of his clan had suffered much less than the others involved. A very public and humiliating punishment had been deemed sufficient. "I wish Aizen had taken his example to heart and spanked the head of your clan as well." That made Shunsui's lips twitch in an unwilling smile.

"If he had, they would have been far more outraged." He said with a small laugh. That left Starrk a little mystified. Lives were hard to replace while dignity was simply a state of mind. How could something in your head be considered more important than something that, when it was gone, could never be recovered? "Ah, well. Can we talk about something else?" Shunsui asked and Starrk nodded. There was little he could do about this but he would protest. Aizen needed to be reminded that he was dealing with hollows and he really should respect the rules. Starrk had an idea he'd just forgotten. Getting the Primera to whip his own pet in front of him would appeal to the tyrant.

"I don't know if you've heard, but Grimmjow has a child now." He said with studied casualness. This was something he really wanted to bring up but he wasn't sure how they would take it. "With Kurosaki Ichigo." That made them both stare at him. "Szayel did it and used Nemu as a surrogate mother." With his interest in the subject, Starrk had gotten a full description of the process from Szayel, including an explanation of DNA. He didn't really have a proper background in such things but he understood it much better than Grimmjow did, now. "Apparently, others are asking for the same thing now." He decided to leave it at that. They could easily infer that he was interested. Shunsui looked a little queasy but there was an odd light in Juushiro's eyes, an almost hopeful look on his face.

"I've always wanted a child." He said softly and Shunsui looked at him, shocked and surprised.

"You do? You never mentioned that!" He said and Juushiro smiled sadly before sipping his tea.

"Because it was impossible. We could not even adopt, while we were hiding our relationship." He said softly and Shunsui frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We certainly could not go to Mayuri for something like this. He would have asked far too much, and we would have been vulnerable to him forever." The thought of that made Shunsui grimace in understanding. Starrk nodded. He'd never met the former head of the 12th but apparently, he was every bit as bad as Szayel. Possibly worse. The Espada of Madness tended to keep his own subordinates alive and functioning, saving his experiments for those who were from outside his Division. Renji counted as an outsider, with his lack of scientific background. "You want this, Starrk?"

"I do. But who would raise the child?" He asked and they exchanged a glance. "Lilinette can't do it although she could help. But I fear she would lose interest." Lilinette would love being the playmate and aunt to a child, but as primary caretaker… no. "I fear I would not be a large part of the child's life." Starrk admitted sadly, looking at his food. That thought pained him. Then a hand touched his arm and he looked up as Juushiro gave him a small squeeze, smiling.

"You'll be a working parent. And I know you would be a good father, Starrk." He said quietly and Starrk smiled a bit, touched. "Perhaps you could speak to Aizen, see if one of us could have a reduced work week. We both have very competent fukutaichou and our Divisions are running well. Mia could find us a good nanny for the child." Starrk hesitated, biting his lip at the thought. Vague memories said that nannies could be very bad… but he pushed away that dread. If Mia recommended someone they would not be cruel to his child, he was sure of it. And Lilinette would be there to supervise.

"I can speak to Szayel. But there are three of us and I'm absolutely certain Szayel can only use DNA from two. Would you like it to be the two of you?" He asked softly. Starrk really didn't care if the child was his or not. He would love the child of his two pets just as much as his own offspring. Shunsui laughed before shaking his head.

"That might look strange to the other Espada! I've never really wanted a child and I can see the two of you do. It can be yours." He said cheerfully and Starrk could feel from the Claim that his good cheer was genuine. That was good, he was glad Shunsui had mostly forgotten his pain. Juushiro gave his friend and lover a smile that promised many things and Starrk wished he could stay with them. But he'd woken up a bit late and his patrol area tonight was vast. Aizen seemed to be using him to locate the 'incorporeal stalker' so he could take care of the problem. Starrk desperately wished he understood what the problem was, but he knew better than to ask. Aizen was not happy and when he wasn't happy, bad things tended to happen. It was better to keep his head down and follow his patrols faithfully.

Hopefully it would all blow over and his life could go back to normal.

* * *

"You're sure about this?" Grimmjow asked, genuinely concerned. Ichigo scowled at him, his brown eyes flashing with irriation.

"Stop being such a pussy about it." The shinigami snapped and Grimmjow tensed, his eyes narrowing. That was a challenge and he knew only one way to deal with challenges in bed. He suddenly moved, pinning the teen down and growling in his ear. Ichigo shivered but it was more lust than fear, he could tell.

"I'll show you who's a pussy here, shinigami." Grimmjow breathed in his ear before nipping his throat. The metal taste of blood inflamed him and he was moving, wrapping the knotted cord around his pet's wrists. Then it went over the bedpost, holding him in place. "Now, how should I punish you?" Grimmjow whispered, his voice a dark and evil purr. Ichigo watched him, wide eyed and breathing quickly. "I can think of a lot of ways…" He said that as he stroked the shinigami's thighs, teasing the tender skin with his callused fingers. "Let's start with this." He grabbed his jacket and ripped off a strip, grinning as Ichigo winced. Then the strip of white fabric went around his eyes.

"Uh, Grimm, I'm not sure…" Ichigo started but then stopped as the Espada growled.

"You asked for this, remember? And I'm not going to hurt you… too much." He kept his voice that seductive purr and enjoyed the way Ichigo swallowed, his lusts clearly activated by the thought.

Tonight, Ichigo had asked him for something different. Bondage play. Apparently, he'd managed to talk to Lisa and she'd said something on the subject. Grimmjow was a little mystified by the whole thing – had that Lisa chick actually been into bondage? Maybe, and Aizen would have known – but he was willing to play along. Although he'd started out concerned for Ichigo. Bondage was just not his idea of fun, when applied to himself. Now, though, he'd been challenged. It was time to pull out the stops. Grimmjow grinned as something occurred to him. He did have a few things in the house, meant for punishment. But if he was gentler they could easily be for play.

"Just hang on a minute." He said to Ichigo, who grumbled something about having no choice. Grimmjow laughed and kissed him on the thigh before going to find the tools he needed. One was a small switch made of reeds. Exceedingly painful when applied properly, but if it was applied just right the pain could be used to magnify pleasure. The other thing he wanted was a tray of ice cubes. He grabbed a robe before fetching that and ignored Renji's curious and unsettled glance. He could just languish in ignorance.

The toys were set aside for later as Grimmjow began teasing his willing victim. He ground their cocks together slowly, smiling as Ichigo gasped and arched against him. The fact that he was blind made things more amusing. Grimmjow teased him with gentle bites, teasing nips that left behind reddened spots in unexpected locations. Then he claimed a nipple, slowly teasing the little nub of flesh as his hand toyed with the other. Ichigo was panting softly and Grimmjow could feel his hard length, pressed against his belly. He let go of the nipple with a small pop, blowing on the overheated flesh. Then he went down, picking up the switch.

"Hnh!" Ichigo arched as the switch came down on his inner thigh. "G-Grimm, ah, what the hell?" He gasped out as the arrancar grinned, lowering his face and giving his cock a quick, hard suck. "AH!" Ichigo writhed before gasping again as the Espada between his legs used the switch again, administering a stinging swat. It was a bit like a fly swatter, there likely wouldn't even be a mark the next day. But to the bound and blindfolded man on the bed, the pain was shocking.

"Don't you know, Ichigo? Just the right amount of pain…" Grimmjow paused to slowly lick the shinigami's balls, sucking on his sac. The ragged gasp he got told him exactly how good it felt. "…Enhances the pleasure." Another very light pop of the switch. Ichigo was panting now and Grimmjow smiled as he moved up a bit, fondling those balls with one big hand. Then he went down on the teen's cock.

Grimmjow didn't mind giving head. He never had, really… oral pleasure was something he enjoyed, giving and receiving. The sounds Ichigo made were delicious and Grimmjow deep throated him, humming slowly around his length. He didn't want to get Ichigo off just yet, though. He still had those ice cubes…

Grinning, the Espada pulled away for a moment. Ignoring Ichigo's disappointed whine, he popped a cube out of the tray and popped it into his mouth. Then he went down on the teen again and this time Ichigo arched with a small scream.

"Unh, Grimmjow, AH! OW! What the – the – the hell…?" He panted and Grimmjow laughed as he tortured him with the ice cube. Then he let go and spat it out onto the bed. That was fun but you absolutely couldn't keep it going too long or it would definitely become painful.

"An ice cube. You like?" He asked, smiling as he watched Ichigo gasping raggedly. There was a lovely flush across his cheeks and a small line of drool running down from the side of his mouth. As Grimmjow watched he twisted his head, wiping it away on the pillow. Somehow, that inflamed his lust and he suddenly had to have him. "Ah, fuck it." He went down on the shinigami again but this time he reached for the lube. After a quick moistening he started opening Ichigo's entrance. He wasn't a chick and no matter how aroused he got, the lube would always be vital.

Ichigo was getting close, from the way he kept trying to thrust up, the powerful throb of his huge, straining cock. Grimmjow growled to himself and pulled away, making his partner whine again as he kept opening him with his fingers. Grimmjow quickly knotted a rope, making an impromptu cock ring. Ichigo moaned as he felt it go around his base.

"No, not that again…" He groaned and Grimmjow chuckled, still exploring his insides with one big hand.

"Don't worry, you won't have blue balls this time." He promised. That had been part of his torture that first time, leaving Ichigo painfully unfulfilled. "I just don't want you to go off too fast. I want us to cum together." He purred and smiled to himself as he watched Ichigo swallow. "I want to see you splatter everywhere as I fill you up with my cum." He whispered and Ichigo's breathing speeded up. Maybe it was just conditioning but he liked the dirty talk, Grimmjow could tell.

When he judged his partner was ready, Grimmjow slid home. He groaned at the feeling of tight, velvety walls gripping his cock. His own erection was huge and in dire need of attention, after the beautiful show Ichigo had been putting on. It got that attention now as he dove in, taking the shinigami under him with a rough and passionate rhythm. This was the mate position. The fact that Ichigo was blindfolded made it a bit less intimate, but only a bit. Grimmjow could still see the beautiful expressions on his face, the way he was reacting to everything.

It was fucking gorgeous. Ichigo's face was flushed heavily now, his breathing coming in harsh pants as his legs locked around the Espada's waist. He met every thrust, trying to deepen them as his arms strained against the ropes holding him down. Grimmjow growled as he kept thrusting, claiming the body under him as his own. Not a real Claim, just the kind of claiming any man might do with the person they… loved.

Grimmjow shook his head as he reached down, undoing and pulling off the rope cock ring. Ichigo groaned, tossing his head back as he felt the lack of restriction. Grimmjow was on his throat in a flash, sucking and nipping the sensitive skin there. He knew he was leaving marks and he didn't care. Ichigo was his. Every inch of his beautiful body, every part of him, was his. And, just possibly, the other way around. Grimmjow's breath speeded at the strange thought and he found himself getting close, feeling the way those walls were caressing him, dragging him deeper…

Gripping Ichigo's cock he began to pump the shinigami. He knew that extra attention would bring Ichigo to orgasm quickly, and he was right. Ichigo finally came with a scream, his semen splashing over them both. Grimmjow let go then, slamming into that hot cavern before going still with a roar. He filled Ichigo with his seed, riding out the powerful climax. They were both left exhausted and gasping, dripping with sweat.

Grimmjow stayed like that for a moment, tangled with Ichigo's body. Then he reached up and pulled off the blindfold, revealing those smoldering brown eyes. Ichigo gave him a look that would have melted sterner hearts, full of heat and warmth. Grimmjow smiled back into those brown eyes before he pulled away, his body leaving Ichigo's with a sodden squelch. Then he reached up, undoing the rope around the shinigami's wrists. That position was fine for a while but it would be uncomfortable for a long time.

"Unh… that was great. But what about Tigre?" Ichigo asked drowsily and Grimmjow tilted his head, listening. There was a sound of laughter from upstairs and he grinned.

"Still playing with his aunts in the rec room." He replied and Ichigo smiled happily. Tigre was aging rapidly and he was already beginning to stand. Right now he was still crawling but he was extremely energetic and loved to play. "Why don't we try to get a nap before he wants us?" Tigre would eventually want them. They were his… mama? Papa? Whatever. Karin and Yuzu were great but they wouldn't keep his attention forever. Ichigo nodded, snuggling into his arms as Grimmjow pulled him close. They quickly dropped off, tangled together.

They'd both had a very good time.

* * *

_So are you going to be his bitch forever, King?_

"Shut up." Ichigo replied in a monotone as he watched Tigre play. The little baby had already developed a great love for tools and lego blocks. Right now he was grinning widely as he stacked the blocks.

_Seriously, I've got some ideas._ Ichigo grimaced, wishing his hollow would just go back to sleep. Unfortunately, it seemed that wasn't going to happen. Tigre was intriguing him and the white psychopath had decided to stick around and pester him to death. _He's letting you take the mate position, King. You could turn this around on him!_

"Oh really. And how would I do that?" Ichigo asked skeptically. His hollow replied quickly, sounding smug.

_Get him to Claim you from the mate position. You're a vizard, not a fucking shinigami. We could return the Claim, King! Better yet, we might be able to shatter the Claim and TAKE him!_ The gloating tone of his hollow's voice made Ichigo grit his teeth. Admittedly, Grimmjow would sort of deserve it but he'd come to understand arrancar customs pretty well. What his hollow was suggesting would be an abomination to them and Grimmjow would never, ever forgive him.

"Don't be an idiot. If we Claimed Grimmjow, the other Espada would know." Ichigo said in a low tone. He didn't want Grimmjow to get even a whiff of what his hollow was thinking. He'd probably freak and for good reason. "And he couldn't refresh his Claim on Renji. And we are NOT doing it." Even if he could cast Claims like a hollow, there was simply no way in hell he would Claim Renji. The thought was horrifyingly wrong on so many levels. His hollow stopped, pondering the matter.

_Okay, I admit, that would be a problem. How about returning the Claim? Then you'd have a Mating Claim. That would make you both more powerful._ His hollow said and Ichigo frowned. Grimmjow hadn't really explained how a Mating Claim worked to him. _It'll let you both use the power of the other in times of danger. It's meant so a female can draw the power of a male to protect the cubs._

"We'd still have to ask Grimm. I can't just trick him into it." Ichigo said firmly, although he was pretty sure Grimmjow would forgive him eventually. Mating Claims were often done by trickery. That was why any hollow doing a regular Claim would be wary of the other hollow's teeth. A bite at the wrong time and it was a Mating Claim, not the Hollow Claim. He could feel how unimpressed his hollow was so he tried to explain. "It's the other Espada again. Would they still feel that I'm Claimed? Would they sense something about Grimm? We'd have to know."

_He probably wouldn't even know._ His hollow grumbled and Ichigo nodded, a touch sadly. It was true, Grimm probably wouldn't have any idea. As far as he knew, there were no Mating Claims among the Espada. _Whatever. Grab that kid and tickle him, he needs a good tickle._ That was actually decent advice and Ichigo grabbed little Tigre, rolling him onto his back and tickling him until he burst into a fit of laughter. Ichigo smiled before hugging his little boy close. His hollow liked Tigre too.

It was probably the only thing they would ever agree on.

* * *

"Grimmjow, what are you – oh my god! Are you insane?" Ichigo stared in absolute horror at the brick wall. It was a tall wall, perhaps twice the height of the average man. In this section, the concrete topping had been broken off slightly. That was clearly why Grimmjow had chosen it but Ichigo was in no mood to appreciate his logic.

"I don't think I've lost my mind but I wouldn't be a good judge of that if I had, yeah?" Grimmjow said easily and Ichigo desperately wanted to punch him. Was he crazy? "What is it?"

"You're letting Tigre climb that!" It was truly shocking. Tigre was an absolutely excellent climber, for a baby. It seemed to come naturally to him and if they didn't watch him carefully he would climb desks, drawers, everything he could get his little hands on. But this wall… "What if he falls?" He could easily hurt himself badly. Grimmjow just laughed, glancing up at the small child. He was grabbing the bricks with single minded determination, getting closer and closer to the top of the wall.

"I'll catch him. He's already fallen twice." Grimmjow said with complete unconcern and Ichigo could feel himself getting grey hairs. Twice? Already? "Don't worry, I've got this. Shit, look! I think he's going to make it!" They both watched as Tigre grabbed the top of the wall and ever so slowly, pulled himself up. Their little boy beamed as he hoisted himself up onto shaky legs, looking around from his high vantage point.

"How is he going to get down – TIGRE!" Ichigo started forward at the same time as Grimmjow as Tigre jumped off the top of the wall, completely unconcerned. They ran into each other but still managed to catch their boy, two sets of arms going around him. He just burbled in pleasure, grinning widely at them both.

"You sure do trust in us, don't you?" Grimmjow said to the boy as Ichigo tried to get his pulse back into a normal range. His hollow was cackling, which didn't help. "Little daredevil. I think that's enough climbing for today. Let's go home and see what's cooking, eh?" He grinned as he settled Tigre more firmly into his arms. The baby burbled happily before gripping his jacket. "Ooogla? No idea what you're saying there. Tell me more." He said playfully and Ichigo smiled as he walked home with them.

They really were beautiful together.


	20. All Children Need Love

The next few months were surprisingly peaceful.

The reorganization of the shinigami Divisions was accomplished without too much bloodshed. When the whole thing was done and the dust had settled, there were seven Divisions. Aizen was no longer in charge of one, which was definitely a change. But he was too busy with the 'incorporeal stalker' to handle such duties.

Starrk was still the one mainly affected, since his patrols brought him into contact with it fairly regularly. The rest of the Espada were mystified, contemptuous or in the case of Grimmjow, concerned. He hadn't felt it himself but he didn't take a threat towards Ichigo and Tigre lightly.

There was nothing any of them could do, though, so they largely ignored it. Tigre continued to grow and began developing a real personality. He was incredibly adventurous, running around and getting into absolutely everything. He'd gotten into the pantry once and come out completely covered in flour and giggling wildly. In addition to be adventurous, he was a very cheerful baby. He had tantrums and upset times, but they were definitely outweighed by his happy times.

Today was no exception. Ichigo smiled as he sipped his tea, watching his sisters playing with Tigre. He'd been chasing the little one around all day, it was definitely their turn. Right now they were running around a tree and Tigre was squealing in glee.

Ichigo got up to get some more tea. He was waiting for the tea to steep when he heard a loud scream and a squall. Abandoning the kitchen he ran outside, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Tigre!" He said as he saw his little boy bawling his eyes out. Yuzu was trying to comfort him as Karin examined him with a grim expression. "What happened – oh shit!" He blanched as he got closer and saw the damage. Both the boy's legs were clearly broken. Yuzu looked up, her expression shocked and tearful.

"H-He climbed the tree Ichi-nii. We tried to stop him and Karin was going up after him when he just jumped off the branch!" Yuzu said and Ichigo mentally damned Grimmjow to a thousand deaths. Tigre didn't understand sonido and shunpo, didn't understand that his aunts couldn't be counted on to catch him like his two fathers. Although he'd likely understand it after this. "He hit the ground…" She whispered and he gently touched her shoulder.

"It's fine. I'll get him to Unohana." He said but Karin pushed him away. "Karin, what?"

"Look Ichi-nii, look." She whispered, sounding awed and a little scared. Ichigo frowned before turning his attention to Tigre's legs.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw what she was seeing. The gashes in that tender flesh were mending and the little legs, so painfully misshapen, were straightening. As his body repaired itself Tigre's wails died into sniffles, then a bit of whining. As they all watched he tried to stand a bit too early and flopped back with a whimper.

_Hey, he got my high speed regeneration! Way to go, King!_ His hollow said and Ichigo blinked. This had come from him? _Of course it did. You beat the shit out of Grimmjow once, you ever see him heal like that?_

"Normally I don't heal like that either." Ichigo muttered before gently picking up Tigre. His little boy snuggled up against him, the pain nothing but a memory. "Incredible. You're a tough little boy, aren't you? Just don't let it go to your head." He added and then his hollow spoke, sounding remarkably serious.

_Yeah, he shouldn't. High speed regeneration is awesome but it's no good if you take too much damage to the spine, head or internal organs._ He said and Ichigo swallowed before nodding. _Don't worry too much King. That must have hurt like a sonufabitch, he won't do it again in a hurry._

"He better not or I'll skin Grimmjow for teaching him to do that." He said in an undertone before smiling at his sisters. They were both watching him anxiously. "Why don't we go inside and put him to bed? I think Tigre needs a nap." It probably was time for an afternoon nap. The little boy could sometimes get rambunctious when he was overtired. Karin nodded and stood, brushing off her knees.

"We need to start supper anyway. You have a really weird kid, Ichi-nii." She said and Ichigo smiled, looking down at Tigre's head. His baby fuzz had turned into a thick head of very orange hair. He was getting teeth, too, although he still loved breast milk. Big blue eyes blinked up at him and Ichigo carried his son inside. Frowning, he wondered where Grimmjow was. His best guess was that he was staying late at work for some reason. Tigre didn't want to sleep in his bed, but he was willing to sleep on the living room couch while Ichigo and his sisters prepared supper. Glancing up from the potato he was peeling, Ichigo smiled as he saw the baby was starting to snore.

Tigre was adorable when he was awake but he was every bit as adorable when he was asleep.

* * *

Elsewhere, in the ruins of Karakura town.

Urahara Kisuke sighed, pushing his hat down a bit more firmly on his head as he regarded the results of his most recent experiment.

"This is really not going at all well." He said whimsically. That was actually a massive understatement. He was attempting to figure out a new way to enter Soul Society. Aizen had sealed off the dangai from the Living World. There was now no way of entering Soul Society without using the senkaimon. Right now, Urahara was trying to think of a way to subvert them. His attempts at making a counterfeit hell butterfly really weren't working out. "We made them too well." Soul Society had never wanted unauthorized people to use the senkaimon. A good tactic when they'd owned the doors, but now that they were in enemy hands…

Urahara looked up from his work as the door opened. Isshin gave him a small smile as he stepped into the room. He wasn't wearing a gigai – none of them were, what was the point? – and he was looking a bit worse for wear. Not because he'd seen much action lately but because of the deep sorrow that surrounded him like a heavy cloak. Isshin was mourning the loss of his entire family. The only thing keeping him going, Kisuke knew, was the hope that they were still alive in Soul Society. He couldn't know for sure and he wouldn't, until they finally breached the barriers Aizen had created against them.

"Any luck?" He asked and Urahara just shook his head. "And the other problem?"

"No luck with that either." He said regretfully. "I don't know how to stop Aizen's spying." Lately, the Visored had been experiencing a sensation of being watched. It was impossible to find anything wrong so Kisuke had come to the conclusion that it had to be Aizen, using the Throne's powers to spy on them. That kind of celestial peeking should have been undetectable but maybe the tyrant didn't have full control of his abilities. Or maybe he wanted them to know. There was no way to be sure.

The thought that it could be something else entirely didn't cross Kisuke's mind and it wouldn't have mattered much if it had. Vandular was right on that count. With no real idea of what was happening, any attempts to discern the true nature of the problem were doomed to failure.

Of course, more direct clues would eventually be provided. But by then, by and large, it would already be too late.

* * *

Byakuya looked down at the tiny creature in his lap and wondered where this insanity would end.

He was tempted to smash it, choke the life out of it, but there was really no point. Yammy would just have Szayel create another. And to be fair, the little thing in his lap wasn't to blame for the horrors occurring to him and his clan. In fact, Byakuya was grimly certain that the creature would eventually become yet another victim to her mad dog of a sire. It sickened him to think that anything of himself was in this… thing.

Yet, if he looked closely, he could see a bit of himself in the child. Her eyes were closed at the moment but when they opened he knew they would be a soft, familiar grey. Her skin was darker than his though, a shade that was definitely closer to Yammy's color. Her hair was jet black and curly. The curl was likely a baby thing, or perhaps some mutation in the genes. Szayel thought the hybrid children might be more prone to unusual genetic expressions, particularly the ones pieced together in his laboratory.

Yammy had not allowed him to name her of course, not that he wished to. Byakuya wished he could have denied her very existence. The big idiot had finally named her Katapira. Caterpillar… Kuchiki Katapira. Or Katapira Llargo. Byakuaya thought that neither did the girl any favors.

Despite his negativity on the subject, he was forced to tend to her when he was not tending to his duties. Yammy hadn't wanted to let him run a Division but thankfully, he'd been overruled. And Aizen had insisted, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, that Yammy allow him to dress normally when he led his shinigami. That at least allowed him to salvage a small amount of his pride. The little thing in his lap opened her eyes and scrunched her face. Byakuya sighed to himself, knowing what was following. Sure enough, a noticeable stench rose from the child's diaper.

_Even worse than her 'sire'._ He thought as he lifted the child up, taking her to be changed. A little hand caught his hair and tangled in the long black strands. _But at least she might grow out of it._ Yammy certainly never would. Vaguely, he wondered what Katapira would look like as an adult. Even if she took after Yammy, she was female. Surely she would be at least a bit daintier.

Normally, no noble of his stature would ever diaper a child themselves. That was what servants were for. But Yammy's instructions left no room for debate. Byakuya tended to the task himself, just thankful that Yammy at least let the servants handle the child while he slept. If not he would have been like Grimmjow, existing in a state of sleep deprivation. Although from what he'd heard, their child was already sleeping through the night. Now long would it take before Katapira developed? Byakuya hoped it would happen quickly. He had no interest in raising this child at all, let alone for a full sixteen to eighteen years.

Finishing with his diapering, Byakuya put Katapira in her playpen. She had plenty of toys, enough stimulation. He pulled a few reports out of his sleeves and began to read them, ignoring the child as she sniffled and began to cry.

He might be forced to care for her, but that didn't mean he would lavish her with attention. She wasn't his, no matter what Szayel had done, and she never really would be.

* * *

Several months later.

"Oi, Ichigo." Ichigo looked up from his kido book. He was gradually working his way up the ranks and he'd even managed to do a few things at half strength. Grimmjow was standing in the doorway to their room, looking preoccupied. "I've been thinking. Maybe Tigre could use some friends."

"Huh?" Ichigo just stared at him for a moment. Technically, he had a point. Tigre was only perhaps six months old, chronologically, but physically and mentally he was closer to one. He was talking now. He could say papa, water and of course, chocolate. That was possibly his favorite word. "That's a good idea but…" Ichigo cringed internally, struggling to find something to say that wouldn't sound cruel. The truth was, though, that Soul Society was not very accepting of the hybrids. Normal children couldn't be expected to play with them.

"Oi, not with these fucking pussies in the neighborhood." Grimmjow said, disgusted. "Always so fucking scared… nah, I was thinking with Halibel's, Ulquiorra's and Yammy's brats." He said and that last part caught Ichigo's attention.

"Wait, Yammy and Byakuya…?" He asked and Grimmjow nodded. Ichigo swallowed, feeling his gorge rise. That was… wrong. Very, very wrong. Grimmjow didn't seem to care though, just running a finger along his mask fragment thoughtfully.

"That kid's really little, just a baby, but she'll grow. Shimonami is the oldest but she'll probably still have fun chasing Tigre around, ya know? And Ulquiorra's brat is just a bit younger than Tigre. They ought to get on perfect." He said and Ichigo thought about it for a moment. Maybe this was a good idea. It would be very good for Tigre to get to know other children his age and he would have a lot in common with the children of the other Espada.

"That would be good. But how would you get them to agree? And where could we all meet?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"I'll have to go talk to 'em, probably get the woman to help me with Ulquiorra. She'll see that it's important, he probably won't. Yammy… ah, I don't know, I'll try. We'll probably have to hold the play dates at Tia's place. She's way too protective to let Shimonami go somewhere else. And she's living with a noble clan, I think. Lots of space." He said and Ichigo nodded. This sounded like a reasonably good plan.

"Did you want me to go talk to Orihime and Ulquiorra?" Ichigo offered. Ulquiorra didn't like him, true, but he didn't like Grimmjow either. Then he blinked as the Espada laughed uproariously.

"Fuck no! Shit, are you kidding? He'd probably try to kill you if you set foot in his house!" Ichigo just stared at him, letting his confusion show and Grimmjow chuckled slowly. "You really don't get it, hey?"

"Get what?" He asked, starting to feel irritated. What was Grimmjow going on about? The Espada just sighed and shook his head.

"Orihime was totally into you." He spelled out and Ichigo's eyes went wide. "Fuck, how could you not know that? I only heard her mention her 'Kurosaki-kun' a few times and I knew that! Ulquiorra sure as fuck knows that! I wonder if she sometimes says your name while he's fucking her? Hehe… No, you're not going anywhere near them, he'd fucking well freak."

"I, uh, I had no idea." Ichigo said, feeling dazed. Orihime had liked him? He'd just thought she was kind of strange. Grimmjow just laughed.

"Might be just as well. What would you have done if you'd known?" He asked and Ichigo tried to imagine. He quickly came up empty. What would he have done? Maybe had a very awkward conversation where he tried to explain he wasn't into her but he really wasn't sure why… because back then he wouldn't have known why… ugh. Grimmjow was right, it was just as well he'd been clueless. "No, I'll talk to Ulquiorra. Maybe you can take Tigre and bother Halibel if you want, let her fraccion coo over him a bit. Bet they'd love that." Ichigo nodded, although he'd probably need a map to find Halibel's place. He knew where Ulquiorra and Orihime lived although he'd never been there. "And I'll handle Yammy. That should be fun." Grimmjow growled to himself and Ichigo nodded sympathetically. Then they both winced as there was a crash and a wail. "What now?" That was a good question. They'd taken care to bolt all the furniture in place, or wire it so a climbing child couldn't pull it over. Even with high speed regeneration, Tigre could easily crush himself with some of the furniture. When they got to the bedroom they found that Tigre had woken up from his nap, scaled his playpen and managed to pull out a drawer onto himself. Little socks were scattered everywhere. "Oi, you are almost a destructive as your other daddy!" Grimmjow told the little boy as he picked him up.

"Hey! Oh, whatever." Ichigo muttered as he began picking up the socks. He was never going to live down blowing up the backyard. "We probably shouldn't even bother with the playpen. It would need a lid on top to keep him in." And he honestly wasn't sure that was a great idea. Tigre would probably have a fit and then hurt himself trying to get out. After putting the socks in the drawer and putting the drawer back in the dresser, he took the boy from Grimmjow. It was a marvel, how big he was getting in such a small amount of time. "What do you think? Should we put a lid on you?" He asked Tigre teasingly and the boy just looked at him for a moment before grinning widely.

"Mama!" He suddenly announced, to both their surprise. They'd been trying to teach him papi for Grimm and daddy for him. Obviously, it hadn't taken. Ichigo blushed as Grimmjow laughed uproariously.

"I guess he knows who takes it – ow!" The Espada scowled, rubbing his head. Ichigo scowled right back.

"Complete that sentence and no sex for a month." He growled. "The swear words are bad enough, stop corrupting our baby!" He added quickly as Grimmjow's eyes iced over. For a moment, he'd almost forgotten he was a pet. He couldn't forbid anything and if he tried, he might be punished. Fortunately, the glacial blue quickly warmed as Grimmjow began to chuckle.

"Yeah, okay, you've got me there. He doesn't need to learn about sexual positions yet, eh?" Grimmjow said to Tigre, who just giggled and snuggled up against Ichigo's side. "Nah, you can wait 'til… hmm... shit, I don't know. The rate you're going, maybe seven or eight?" Grimmjow hazarded and Ichigo blanched at the thought. He might be right, though. If Tigre was physically and mentally mature they would have to treat him like an adult. That meant giving him the sex talk. But…

"He's too young to even worry about that." Ichigo said firmly. "I think I'll go see if Halibel is home. Where would I need to go?" Grimmjow scratched his head and started giving him directions. They were much, much too hard to follow. "Do you have a map?"

"Oh sure." After he got the proper way to go, Ichigo settled Tigre against him and took off in a burst of shunpo. If Halibel and her fraccion weren't home, he would try again some other time. Tigre squealed in glee as he felt the wind rush by and Ichigo smiled to himself. His little one loved travelling fast.

He would have his own speed, someday. Would it be shunpo or sonido? They would just have to wait and see.

* * *

"NO! Mine!" The little girl with the pure white hair tried to grab a carved horse away from a little boy with black hair. He promptly wacked her on the head with it. "MOMMY!"

"Ah, kids." Grimmjow said lazily as Shimonami ran to Halibel, who was shaking slightly with silent laughter. "Come on girl, you just wanted that because he had it." He said as Orihime spoke to her boy.

"Now, Casimir, you need to share…" She said but her boy ignored her, bouncing his horse against Tigre's toy. Just as he'd thought, those two were getting along quite well. They'd spent quite a bit of time roughhousing and now they were just having fun with the toy horses, creating quite a herd of them. Unfortunately, Shimonami wanted her toys back. Of course, which toy she wanted back changed quite a bit.

Grimmjow smiled as he watched little Katapira scoot across the floor. She was definitely the smallest and definitely the cutest. He honestly couldn't believe that Yammy had produced something that sweet. The little blush marks on her cheeks really made it and he thought the boys would be swooning over her someday. Of course, maybe it was a bit early to say.

Casamir wasn't nearly as cute, but he was very nice. Grimmjow turned his attention to the other boy in the room, regarding him thoughtfully. His hair was jet black and straight, framing a face with creamy skin like his mother. His eyes were very odd, dark purple and he had very long, very thick eyelashes. He looked very solemn as he played, but when he and Tigre had been rolling across the floor he'd been smiling. He was mostly silent, but sometimes responded to Tigre's baby chatter with one syllable replies. So far, Grimmjow had heard him say yes, no and mama.

Shimonami was further along than either of the boys. She looked to be perhaps four years old, physically, and was communicating with full sentences. Right now she was trying to join the boys but not doing it very well, attempting to tell them what to do. They cheerfully ignored her and she finally managed to join them, getting one of the horse toys and declaring that hers was the princess horse. The princess horse was soon going on adventures with the prince horses, and she gave a narrative of what was happening to them as the boys had fun.

Grimmjow smiled as Ichigo picked up Kata, gently playing with her with a soft smile. Ichigo was good with kids, which was more than could be said of Byakuya. Grimmjow wasn't sure but he'd noticed the noble was showing no interest in his tiny offspring. He was sitting in a corner, reading something and ignoring all of them. Yammy wasn't present. Halibel had quite firmly excluded him and he'd sent Kata with his pet instead.

Ulquiorra wasn't present either, but that was because of his duties. As Grimmjow watched, Halibel rested a hand on Lisa's back and whispered something to her. The Visored nodded, adjusting her glasses and Grimmjow wondered what was going on. Not that he was going to ask. Lisa blushed every time she looked at him and Halibel took on a rather menacing air every time he got near the girl. Apparently, she was a bit protective of her new pet. Or jealous. It was hard to be sure.

As the play date went on, though, Grimmjow noticed something odd. Well, several somethings. The first thing he noticed was that Katapira really wanted Byakuya's attention and she wasn't getting it. He glanced at his pet and noticed that Ichigo was watching the baby tugging on Byakuya's kimono, trying to get him to look at her. From the unhappy look on his face and the sadness in those brown eyes, he was seeing it too. Grimmjow frowned and wondered if there was anything he could do about it. Maybe suggest that Yammy get them a nanny? Although the Kuchiki's were nobles. Maybe there was usually a nanny but she just hadn't been taken along to this? That seemed strange though…

The other thing he noticed was the odd flux and flow of Halibel's reiatsu. He hadn't noticed it before because he'd never seen her with Lisa, but now that he was seeing the two of them together he could tell there was a light sprinkling of the Visored's reiatsu in her aura. Grimmjow played with the boys as he eyed her surreptitiously. What could have caused that? Then it hit him and he stiffened before quickly turning all his attention on the kids.

It had never occurred to him, but a Visored was part hollow. Could they return a Claim? And if so, had Halibel let her guard down around the girl? That was actually really easy to do, accidental Mating claims happened all the time. Well, accidental for the person trying to do the regular Claim. The person getting Claimed would turn it around if they could, that was just how things went. It could result in some damned odd pairings. That made him wonder if Lisa was bisexual. She definitely liked guys, he knew that personally.

Of course, if he could sense it than Ulquiorra certainly would. Grimmjow was glad he wasn't there and decided not to mention it to Ichigo until he'd had time to observe this playing out. If Halibel got into trouble and had her pet taken away, he damned well wasn't going to follow her example. He was a bit bemused, though, as he realized that was the main reason he wasn't considering it. Did he like Ichigo that much? Well, yes. Did he want him to be free though, free to tell him to fuck off whenever he cared to? Well… maybe. His wife had told him to fuck off plenty of times. Somehow, they'd usually ended up in bed anyway.

"Halibel, Lisa? It's about time for supper." Mila Rose walked into the room, favoring the children with a smile. All of the fraccion liked the kids, although Apacci was totally nuts over them. Ironically, none of the kids liked her too much. Grimmjow thought she was trying too hard. Kids were like cats, sometimes, heading towards the people who were harder to win over. That reminded him of Kata, though, and he glanced over as Byakuya lifted the child up. She was overjoyed but there was the faintest hint of something dark in those calm grey eyes. Disgust? Grimmjow couldn't be sure. Frowning, he gathered up Tigre.

He'd have to talk to Yammy, make sure that kid had a nanny. Because if she had to depend on her two 'daddies' for love, she was completely screwed.


	21. First Incursion

_Being his bitch again, King? I keep telling you to bite him!_

"Shut… up… unh…" Ichigo moaned as that rock hard length plunged into him again, filling him with more reiatsu. The Claim was still an amazing experience, the best sex he'd ever had in his life. It was terribly draining though so despite how good it felt, they only did this once a month. That was still a huge amount of reinforcement and probably overkill, but Grimmjow wasn't taking any chances.

"You don't want to hear me talk, shinigami?"Grimmjow said from behind him. They were in the classic doggy style pose, the arrancars weight resting against his back. Ichigo panted, his arms struggling to hold him up as the pleasure washed over him again and again. "Well, too bad… you're so fucking hot, I just have to tell you." A rough hand encircled his engorged penis, but the stimulation was almost superfluous. With that honey sweet reiatsu wrapping around his core, stroking his body in a way no hands ever could, nothing could make the experience better.

Grimmjow tried though. That hand on his length, a kiss on the back of his neck, more thrusts and more reiatsu poured into him. Ichigo was whimpering with the intense pleasure by the time fangs tore at his throat. He cried out as he orgasmed, his body rocking with the force of it. Grimmjow growled as he came, filling the body under him with his seed.

Grimmjow untangled their bodies and Ichigo gasped softly as he was pulled to a clean spot on the bed. But then Grimmjow poked him in the side.

"Hey, stay awake for a moment." That was Claim enforced and Ichigo struggled to gather his wandering mind. "That hollow of yours, is he awake?"

"Huh? Yeah." Ichigo said drowsily. He really wanted to sleep. Why couldn't this wait until morning…?

"Has he been trying to get you to put a Claim on me?" That woke him up a bit and Ichigo swallowed as he heard the dangerous tone in Grimmjow's voice. He nodded hesitantly, looking over his shoulder at the arrancar. His blue eyes were like ice. "I thought so. Tell the cuntlicker that if he does it, Aizen will kill us both."

"Cuntlicker? Grimm, really?" Ichigo complained before thinking about the rest of what he was saying. "Wait, did something happen?" He asked, apprehensive. Grimmjow grunted before nodding.

"Yeah, that Lisa chick managed to get a mating Claim on Halibel. Ulquiorra spotted it and tattled like the suck-up he is." Grimmjow's voice was rough with contempt but Ichigo was worried for Lisa now. Was she…? "Aizen let it go because the bitch is only fukutaichou level. But he told Halibel that if the girl tries anything, her head would answer for it. Then he called me into a private meeting and told me you're not a fucking fukutaichou and if he catches a whiff of a Claim on me, he'll kill us both. He put it more nicely but it was pretty fucking clear."

"See? I told you." Ichigo muttered to his hollow, who didn't reply. He honestly wasn't surprised though. He was only surprised that Lisa had managed to bite Halibel. She must have taken the Espada by surprise. "Don't worry. I already thought of that, it's why we never tried." He said to Grimmjow and the Espada nodded. "So we'll never have a Mating claim." He couldn't help the hint of sadness in his voice. He wasn't sure he wanted to be chained to the violent man forever, but he would have liked to have the option. There was a pause and then Grimmjow shrugged.

"Not right now." He said quietly and a big hand caught his chin, running a thumb along his jaw in a surprisingly gentle gesture. Then Grimmjow smiled, an almost wistful expression. "Not until Aizen's opinion doesn't matter anymore." He said it lightly but Ichigo's stomach lurched at the thought.

"Don't say that." He said sharply. Aizen's opinion only wouldn't matter if Tigre and his sisters were under dire threat, or already gone. Like Grimmjow's first family… vanished, leaving him unanchored and uncaring. The Espada's smile turned a bit crooked and he shrugged.

"You never know what'll happen someday. But fuck this shit. Go to sleep." That wasn't Claim enforced but Ichigo obeyed anyway. The exhaustion that always followed the Claim was dragging him under.

His sleep was peaceful and there were no dreams that he could remember.

* * *

Time passed by and seasons changed.

It was winter by the time Tigre began to use full sentences. And it was about that time he began to learn how to hunt. It was a hilarious sight and the little one wasn't very good at it, bundled up in a heavy coat and trying to toddle after his father. But the baby enjoyed every moment of it and he was getting bigger. Soon, he'd be up to catching things himself, not just sharing from Grimmjow's kills.

Ichigo was a bit ambivalent about that. He liked that they were spending time together but he wasn't sure he liked the thought of his little boy eating raw meat. At first he'd been concerned about parasites and things, but his hollow had laughed himself sick and asked if he really thought a child who could fix broken legs in minutes would be harmed by parasites. Ichigo had to admit it wasn't likely… unless they were made by Szayel, anyway.

Szayel was a constant fixture in their life. As the second oldest of the hybrid children, Tigre had very regular checkups. Szayel had been absolutely fascinated by his regeneration, which was unique among the children so far. He had a theory that it might fade when Tigre reached adulthood. Hollows usually had to make a choice between increased durability and high speed regeneration. Right now, Tigre's hierro was very weak. The regeneration might be a compensation. To Ichigo's mind, that didn't explain why Shimonami didn't have it. Her hierro was quite weak.

The play dates continued to occur and Ulquiorra came to several of them. Ichigo could feel his eyes on him, particularly when he talked to Orihime. But gradually, the distrust seemed to lower. He even dared to go to their house when he knew Ulquiorra would be home and request that Tigre be allowed to play with Casamir. Ulquiorra had wanted to refuse, that had been obvious, but his boy had caught wind of his favorite playmate and the Espada couldn't say no to a child tugging on his leg and looking up at him hopefully.

That meant Ichigo and Orihime got to spend more time together. It was nice, a return to normality after all the turmoil they'd gone through. Of course, that did lead to some awkward moments.

"How are you doing?" Ichigo asked quietly and Orihime gave him a small smile. There was an echo of sadness to it, though.

"I'm fine Kurosaki-kun. I love Casamir very much." She said before looking at the children. They were playing down by the river and had already fallen in once. Fortunately, Tigre could instinctively swim and Casamir had the ability to summon little bat wings. They weren't very large and he couldn't fly well, but it was enough to get him out of a chilly river. "I'm… fond of Ulquiorra-san. Although not…" She stopped and Ichigo could easily fill the rest in. Especially with the way she glanced at him, the warmth in her eyes. How had he been so blind to it before?

"Orihime, I'm gay." He said honestly. "Even if none of this had happened, there wouldn't have been anything between us." He was sure of that now. His blindness before had been a sign of it. But Orihime frowned, looking away.

"Is it what that Espada has done to you, that makes you say that?" She asked in an undertone and Ichigo shook his head.

"No. I don't know if Ulquiorra told you this, but hollows are made up of male and female souls. If they have enough control they can switch genders. So I know I'm gay." He said firmly and Orihime's eyes went wide at the thought. "And I happen to know that Ulquiorra can do it too. So if you're ever questioning your sexuality…" He said with a smile, reflecting on the fact that Grimmjow was definitely rubbing off on him. He'd never have said something like that before. Orihime's cheeks suddenly flamed red before she shrieked.

"Kurosaki-kun! I am not lesbian!" The look on her face was just… Ichigo couldn't help it, he laughed. The two boys both looked at them for a moment before deciding they were boring and incomprehensible and went back to their game. "Oh, you…!" Orihime was still blushing furiously when she called on her hairpins. "Koten Zanshun!"

"Ack!" Ichigo hadn't been expecting a laughing Tsubaki in the face. Fortunately Orihime didn't actually want to hurt him so the fairy's attack just stung a little and knocked him onto his back. "Ow!" He complained, rubbing his forehead. Orihime immediately looked horrified.

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry!" She apologized but he waved it off, sitting up with a smile.

"It's okay. But it's starting to get late, I should probably take Tigre home." It was lovely watching the children at play but Grimmjow and his sisters would be home soon. Grimm would want to give Tigre a hug and take him out for some fun before dinner. Unless he needed a nap, of course. But Tigre wasn't napping too much anymore.

"Yes, and I should get started on supper." Orihime said and Ichigo vaguely wondered how well Ulquiorra was surviving on her cooking. But then, the Espada didn't have to eat unless he wanted to and Casamir knew nothing else. By now, the little boy might like it. Just before they left Tigre impulsively hugged his friend, who hugged him back. The two adults couldn't help but aww at the cuteness.

The next few weeks passed normally, but then something unusual happened. Ulquiorra happened to be home and was with them, watching the children, when he abruptly went back into the house. Ichigo and Orihime were both rather confused by his action but it was quickly resolved as he brought a complete stranger with him into the backyard. She was an older woman with black hair, a kindly smile and a very familiar little girl in her arms.

"Katapira!" Ichigo smiled as the little girl squealed and reached for him. She was smiling, her grey eyes flashing with excitement. "Can I…?" He asked the woman and she easily handed the little girl over. Ichigo tickled her, smiling. "I don't think we've met." He said, the most tactful way he could think of to ask for her name. Her smile widened for a moment before she answered.

"I am Kuchiki Miyaki." She answered and Ichigo blinked, surprised. She laughed throatily at the look on his face. "Just a poor cousin, not one of the main clan. I'm Katapira's nanny."

"Nana!" The little girl announced happily and Ichigo smiled as he cuddled her. Just from what little he could see, he thought Kata was in good hands. That was good, the little one definitely needed some love.

The boys were reluctant to bring the little girl into their play. Kata was definitely younger. But they were building something made out of wooden sticks and they quickly found a use for her. Kata was more than willing to carry them sticks and the adults just watched the children at play. It would have been better if they could have left the little ones to play by themselves, but they knew better. There was too much tension in Soul Society, too many possible enemies. There were still explosions, still attempted assassinations. Still arrests and people simply vanishing in the night. No one was likely to forget that and the children were possible targets.

"Kurosaki-kun, look at that!" Orihime's voice interrupted him and Ichigo blinked as he followed her pointing finger. She was gesturing towards Kata and he stared as he saw what she was seeing. The little girl was carrying a stick that was really much too big for her. She was managing it because she had more than on pair of arms wrapped around it as she walked.

"Oh my. I never saw her do that before." Miyaki sounded slightly shocked. The extra arms vanished as Katapira dropped the stick. Casamir took it without comment, adding it to the structure he and Tigre were building. Was it meant to be a raft? Ichigo wondered what they planned to use for rope. Casamir was very good at planning things out, despite being so young. He might actually have an idea for that.

They watched, fascinated, as Kata managed to bring them a stick that was closer to a log. The little girl was beaming, proud of her efforts. Then Tigre noticed the extra arms.

"Hey! You have four arms!" He said and Kata looked confused.

"No, two." She said and Tigre looked just as confused before pointing at her.

"No, four." He corrected her and she looked down before gasping. The extra arms abruptly disappeared and the log immediately dragged her down. She collapsed and cried out in pain as her hands were trapped under the wood. Ichigo winced as Miyaki ran to her, helping lift the log off her little hands.

"Oh dear." She examined the wounds and Ichigo blinked as he realized that Katapira didn't have much hierro or high speed regeneration. Why had his child gotten that? Maybe it was one of the 'unusual genetic expressions' Szayel had mentioned.

_You know, she's interesting. I like her better than that Shimonami girl. Maybe she'd make a good mate for Tigre._ His hollow commented as Orihime called up her healing power, taking care of Kata's minor wounds.

"Okay, that is unbelievably premature." He muttered and Ulquiorra gave him an odd look. Ichigo just looked away, reminded that many Espada had excellent hearing. Ulquiorra's base form was a bat, his would be better than most. "Are they making a raft?"

"Yes. They're planning to use woven reeds for rope." Ulquiorra replied and Ichigo blinked at the thought. He wasn't sure how that would work. "It was Tigre's idea." That surprised him even more… but Tigre was good at coming up with fun ideas. "He's an acceptable child." That sounded lukewarm but Ichigo knew by now that it was high praise from the emotionless Espada. Ichigo smiled at that.

"Casamir is acceptable too." He said, gently teasing. The Espada blinked slowly at him, a bit surprised. "And Orihime seems to be happy." That was surprising but it was also true. Orihime had settled well into motherhood and seemed to be getting along well with her mate. Ulquiorra tensed slightly and Ichigo continued. "She's my friend, I'm glad she's happy." _And she's only my friend._ Ichigo hoped Ulquiorra got the message. He seemed to from the way he nodded.

The raft wasn't done when they had to break up the game. Tigre and Casamir were both unhappy but the adults assured them the sticks would still be there tomorrow. The 'rope' made out of braided reeds wasn't very good, but it was a credible first effort. Ichigo smiled as he rolled it up for them. A real rope would be much easier, but it was pretty good for a pair of little boys.

They could play with it again tomorrow.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Hueco Mundo.

Chad paused as he felt something. It was mostly instinct. Since he'd been stranded in Hueco Mundo he'd learned to trust in his instincts.

Those instincts said he was in deadly danger. Glancing around slowly, he couldn't locate the source of the threat. Whatever was in the sands was concealing itself well. He couldn't pick up a hint but his instincts knew there was –

Chad suddenly flung himself back, just in time to evade a pronged piece of bone. It hissed past him with an evil sound and suddenly, two hollows revealed themselves, leaping over a nearby dune. Their reiatsu, which had been almost undetectable before, beat on him like a storm. They were stronger than the arrancar he'd defeated and there were two of them.

Chad still fought to the best of his abilities and they were both smarting from his attacks when he was brought down. The big teen stared at the stars above him as one of them loomed over him. He was about to die. He'd fought well, done his best, but sometimes the best wasn't good enough…

"What is he?" Something poked him and Sado blinked, trying to focus. The voice was male, a surprisingly melodic tenor. It sounded like this hollow would make an excellent singer.

"Who caressss. Let usss kill him and take him to the old one." The second said, a female voice with a rasping hiss. "He will be a desssent meal."

"Mmm. True, but he's strange. Anything strange should be investigated, don't you think?" The male voice said and there was a pause. Chad blinked, his eyes clearing enough that he could really see the male above him. He seemed to be a stag? There were great branching horns on his head at least. The female beside him was definitely snake-like, with long, tangled black hair that stretched down he back.

"Ssss… you may have a point." The female allowed and Chad began to push himself up. "Hsss! Sssstay down." She snapped at him and he hesitated before obeying. These two could still kill him if they cared to.

"If we're going to take him to the great one we should let him walk, don't you think? Easier on the two of us." The stag said brightly and the snake shook her head. "Unless he's too slow. Actually, he probably is. He feels better than adjuchas strength but he's not vasto lorde." Chad blinked as he realized what these two had to be. The highest ranking of the hollow race but they were unbroken, not affiliated with Aizen. The female hissed.

"He isss not a hollow, even if he feelsss like one. You carry him, I ssshall not." She said and the stag shrugged before offering the teen a hand. He accepted it cautiously, wincing in pain as he was pulled to his feet. He honestly thought he was too badly hurt to keep up with them.

"He's too badly hurt." Sado blinked at the odd echoing of his thought. "I'll carry him. What's your name? I'm Cynnbel Brittanwyvar." He introduced himself cheerfully. Chad thought it was rather strange, speaking so nicely to someone you likely intended to devour. "This is Natwa, no last name she'll give me. I think she doesn't like me, I am very sad." He did sound very sad but the snake just sniffed in disgust. "My, you're large. Oh well…" Chad blinked as the male hollow knelt down in front of him. "Piggy back! Easiest way, if I try to carry you my claws would dig in." He said and Sado really thought that was quite likely. He briefly considered trying to strike at the hollow and escape, but quickly discarded the thought. The snake woman was watching him and he had no doubt she would kill him, even if she didn't particularly care for her companion.

Wrapping his arms around the hollow's neck, Sado noticed that he was tall and lightly built. Despite that, Cynnbel lifted him as easily as a twig. Soon they were coursing through the sands, moving with a speed the teen could only envy. He was fast but not this fast.

They slowed and finally arrived at what looked like a large, greenish blue stone. Then it unfolded and Chad caught his breath as he felt the weight of a dark, heavy reiatsu. The body that uncurled was long and lean, powerfully built with a predatory appearance. The face was mostly bare, aside from what looked like a chinguard of bone, and was covered in black tattoos. But instead of hair, it looked like the hollow was wearing a helmet made from the head of a shark. And the shark theme did not stop there… There were razor sharp fins on his legs and arms, as well as slits in the sides of his throat that mimicked gills. They were bone, though, and clattered faintly as Sado met the creatures' eyes. They were dark grey, cold and pitiless.

"What is this thing?" The monster rumbled, its voice so deep it was like listening to boulders rubbing against each other. The male answered.

"We don't know, really, great one. He doesn't seem to talk much." The stag knelt so Chad could easily dismount as the ancient hollow grunted. Those grey eyes studied him for a moment before the hollow drew his own conclusions.

"A human. Why are you here, in our land of lost souls?" He asked and Chad hesitated a moment. But that cold gaze demanded an answer. "Do you belong to Aizen?" There was no inflection, no change in that deep voice, but Sado quickly shook his head.

"No. I came to rescue a friend from him." He said honestly and the hollow regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. "I am his enemy." Chad was very glad he could say that truthfully. The hollow grunted before nodding.

"As am I, although he knows me not." There was anger in that deep voice, powerful and unrelenting. "I am Nngato Taniwha. Some call me the sea monster." The hollow regarded him for a moment more before nodding. "An enemy of Aizen is worth preserving. So. I give you a choice. Come hunt for me as I try to save what is already lost, or I will devour you now and put your life energies to good use." That wasn't much of a choice. But Chad did have a question.

"What is already lost?" That didn't make a great deal of sense. The sea monster just grunted, scratching his side with one taloned hand.

"Aizen has not properly claimed the Throne of Heaven. Even now, the barriers weaken. We cannot stop this, only delay it. If nothing is done, _she_ will return." The ancient hollow spat the word 'she' with venom. "I barely survived the last time, and it was less bad. This will be a nightmare brought to life." He muttered and Chad felt truly confused. What was the male talking about? Fortunately the hollow sensed his confusion. "She is sometimes called the Red Queen, but she has no name. She exists in the cast off bits, the pieces of the three worlds that failed and were discarded. Cut off from the passage of time, they simmer and stagnate, giving rise to horrors that desire nothing more than to be real. But to become real they must steal our reality… our lives, our souls, our names. Our time." The hollow said and Chad wondered if this was some kind of bizarre fantasy. It sounded very strange. "I see you do not believe me yet. But you will. She is coming. She will be here soon."

"I really didn't want to hear that again. It's extremely creepy." The stag said nervously and Chad glanced at him. He could see the other hollow believed it. "Really, I think the dragon explained it better."

"No. He dessscribed what happensss when they kill you. It wasss awful." Natwa corrected as the sea monster chuckled, a sound like boulders grinding together. "And they will affect everything. There isss no sssafety, even in death." She sounded grim and Sado could see she believed it as well. Hesitating, he considered it. But his other option was being eaten. That made things rather simple.

"I will help you." He said. He'd been feeding on hollows for some time, hunting them down for this vasto lorde wouldn't be much harder. And maybe after a while watching him, Chad would understand what he was doing.

He could only hope.

* * *

Starrk scowled as he stalked the streets of the Rukongai. He was in his full resurrection and Lilinette was in the holsters he'd had made for her some time ago. His guns were snoring peacefully, keeping to her daylight schedule even as the Primera stalked the streets.

His duty was fairly urgent. The Rukongai was in a panic over a particularly terrible serial killer. Given that people regularly fought and died in the Rukongai and corpses could often be found in job lots, that was really saying something. But from what Starrk had heard, this killer was leaving behind the kind of bodies that should have required Szayel's expertise and many, many hours of careful work in a medical lab. Or perhaps, the attentions of the late Mayuri Kurotsuchi. And it was being done insanely quickly. Several times a person was gone for just a few minutes before friends found the body in… interesting condition.

The hysteria was spreading through the Rukongai like a rash. People were saying the arrancar were behind it. Given all the things they had done, that was a reasonable fear but Starrk knew it wasn't correct. Several arrancar had vanished too, but their bodies had not been found at all. And he wasn't in the Rukongai to sniff the thing out. No, his reiatsu was quite overpowering in full release, he couldn't hope to hide it. Starrk was there was bait. Aizen thought whatever was doing this might be quite stupid and unable to resist the allure of an Espada in full release.

That made Starrk nervous. He was reasonably sure this had something to do with his stalker. Had something finally… arrived? Something more solid than the thing spying on him? He really didn't want to be doing this. On the other hand, it would be a relief to finally confront the thing that had been making his patrols a misery –

There was a soft rattle and Starrk stopped dead, slowly turning. The sound was not repeated but Starrks' single eye narrowed, his hand dropping to his gun. He hadn't imagined that. There was something here. His mind rapidly identified all the available sounds – the wind turning a weather vane, the soft rustle of the leaves on an oak tree. Nothing quite matched the rattle he'd heard. Drawing his gun, Starrk settled in to wait. He could be patient. And also…

"Lilinette, wake up. You need to take my back." There was a grumbling protest from his guns but then a spirit wolf appeared, yawning widely. It took a position at his back, preventing anything from taking him by surprise. The standoff continued for a while before Starrk heard an exasperated hiss.

Then _something_ attacked. Starrk didn't really catch a very good glimpse of it. It was red yet oddly translucent, as if it was made of gel. It moved very fast but the Primera moved faster and he lashed out, fetching it a brutal kick before using his guns. He had to calibrate the blasts very carefully and even so, he knew he would be damaging some of the buildings. It didn't matter. This _thing_ needed to be eliminated.

It really wasn't very strong and he quickly defeated it. When it was dead Starrk examined it for a moment, fascinated. It really did look like a red gel with black, organ like things deep inside. He tried to pick up the corpse, intending to bring it to Szayel. But it quickly dissolved in his hands. As it did, Starrk felt an odd tug on his souls but he easily ignored it. Frowning, the Coyote watched as the creature turned into a puddle of goo. He wondered if he should try to gather some for Szayel, then shook his head. He didn't have any specimen bottles, no way to carry the gel.

"Eww. Gross!" Starrk blinked at that and looked at Lilinette. The wolf body she was using was nudging at something in an alleyway. "Cool though. I wonder how it did this? It didn't even have hands!" Starrk walked towards her and blanched as he saw what she was regarding with ghoulish enthusiasm.

"Lilinette, get away from that!" He said, absolutely repulsed. The person in question hadn't been skinned per se. No… it was like their skin had been turned inside out. It was still alive, too, and suffering horribly. Starrk corrected that with a single shot from his gun. The wolf vanished as Lilinette returned fully to his weapons. "We need to report to Aizen." Starrk had no idea what that creature had been but it made his skin crawl. And it was suspiciously weak. That made him wonder if it was merely a scout of some kind. But for what?

He would probably find out eventually.


	22. Some Plot and Some Serious Smut

"Shit. See, this is what happens when you let people know you can do something. They find fucking work for you." Grimmjow growled at the supper table. Tigre sucked on his spoon, giving him a quizzical look. "Don't ever let people know how much you can do, kid. It's just a pain in the ass." He advised.

"Okay." Tigre agreed, probably having no idea what he was talking about. Grimmjow chuckled as Ichigo gave him a severe look.

"Are you just going to complain or are you going to explain what's wrong?" He asked as he cut up Tigre's steak. Renji was just looking sympathetic. He knew all about it. Grimmjow sighed and propped his chin in one hand.

"That fucker Tosen… now that he knows I have my numbers and I know how to use 'em, he's finding work for me. Renji's shit is together, his Division is sailing well, so it's time to move me on." He explained as Renji grimaced. He knew the redhead wasn't too happy about losing him. He kept the Numeros away from his shinigami and there was no guarantee that whoever replaced him would do that. They also were getting along fairly well, and his replacement might not do that either. "Tosen and Aizen are getting me to do a fucking audit. I'm starting with Starrk's pets and moving on from there… I'm going to be auditing everyone. The only good thing about it is that they don't care how long it takes me, so no overtime." He was a family man now, he didn't want to be chained to a desk for twelve hours a day. "Although I'd rather be fighting something. Why is Starrk getting all the action? He doesn't even want it!" Grimmjow didn't know exactly what the Primera was up to and Starrk was forbidden to talk about it, but he knew it was happening in the Rukongai. To him, that spelled action. Ichigo smiled but it was a little pensive.

"Poor you. Maybe we can spar again tomorrow." He said and that made Grimmjow grin. It was a cheerful thought, Ichigo was getting really good with his kido. "And maybe we can make a bet on the outcome." That made him tilt his head curiously.

"Oh yeah? What kind of bet?" He asked, interested. Ichigo just flashed him a quick smile before going back to Tigre. He was still a messy eater although he was trying to figure out how to use chopsticks. Grimmjow thought that a fork was more practical, but this was Soul Society. He'd learned how to use chopsticks himself a few years ago.

"The kind you don't discuss in front of children." Ichigo said and Grimmjow noticed that he was getting much, much better at his seductive voice. It made his little friend jump a little but he manfully forced it down. He couldn't jump his mate right at the dinner table, even if he wanted to. And he did want to. Oh yes, he did.

"You guys are gross." Karin complained and Grimmjow wondered when she was going to grow out of that. Wasn't she sixteen now? Almost old enough to go to the shinigami academy, they got started early. That suddenly reminded him of something and he took a bite of his steak before speaking again.

"Hey, girl. When are you going off to be a shinigami?" He asked and Karin frowned at him before naming the date. She would be seventeen… Grimmjow nodded to himself. "You want to be my fraccion?"

"What? Why in hell would I want that?" She asked, surprised and derisive. Grimmjow just grinned. She wasn't getting it.

"Because arrancar like to have Claims with high reiatsu, and if you're at the shinigami academy, you're out from under my protection. Fresh meat, unless I make my claim more permanent." Ichigo's eyes widened in horror but Grimmjow shook his head at him. "Not a real Claim, I mean a public announcement and shit. Spread the word that she's really my fraccion and anyone who claims her will be dealing with me." He specified. The charms were nice but they were meant more for household servants. They wouldn't keep Karin safe by themselves, not when she was learning kido and flashing her reiatsu all over the place.

"I don't want to take anything from you, you raping bastard." Karin spat and Ichigo looked down, his eyes going dark for a moment. But then he looked at her before speaking firmly.

"Karin, you should do it." He said and she gaped at him, surprised. "It's not… like that anymore. If Aizen would let us have a Mating claim, we would. That's the arrancar version of marriage." He added as they all looked confused. Karin looked like she'd swallowed a bug while Yuzu smiled happily. Renji just looked like he wished he was somewhere else. Grimmjow grinned at that. Red was so funny, sometimes, with his near phobia about their relationship.

"It's not quite the same. We don't do sentimental shit, but the Mating claim enhances the power of both parties. Lets' us use the power of the other when there's a threat." Grimmjow put in, watching Karin's reaction. She was looking at the table now and frowning. "Aizen told me he'd kill us both if I let Ichigo do that, so no dice. But I can still put you under my protection if you agree." Fraccion had to agree to become fraccion. Of course, in some cases refusing would be stupid as hell. If a vasto lorde like Barragan or Starrk walked up to you and 'asked' you to be a fraccion, you didn't say no. Grimmjow tried to think what he would have done, if Barragan had ever taken a shine to him. Ugh. Starrk… he would have said yes, even if it meant being his bitch. Knowing the wolf, he could have turned that around eventually.

"Is there anything I'll have to do?" Karin finally asked, which was a good question. Grimmjow frowned for a moment before shrugging.

"Not for a long time. Eventually, when you're a shinigami, I might need you to hold my back. That's what fraccion are for." He said honestly. Someday, Karin might be worth calling on. But that would be after she graduated and made fukutaichou, which might take a while. She regarded him for a moment, her grey eyes troubled. Then she finally nodded with a sigh.

"Okay, fine, I'll be your fraccion. But mostly because Ichi-nii would freak if I got Claimed by another arrancar. Then there would be blood and gore all over the place." She predicted and Grimmjow laughed. She was right, there would be. Without Zangetsu, Ichigo had to resort to some pretty direct measures.

"I'll make the announcement at the next meeting." There was no hurry. She wasn't going to be entering the academy for a while. "Nnoitra's going to laugh his ass off and tell me I'm pathetic for taking a shinigami fraccion… oh well." As far as he knew, he would be the first to actually take any shinigami as an official fraccion. Although Grimmjow was willing to be he wouldn't be the last. He'd met Lilinette's friend and he was willing to bet Starrk would make her his fraccion when she was older. She had enough reiatsu to be attractive and that would definitely get worse as she aged.

"I'm done!" Tigre announced and hopped down from his seat. There was still quite a bit of food left but Grimmjow wasn't worried. Little kids had little stomachs and when he'd been alive, he'd let them stop eating whenever they wanted. Forcing them to eat was just stupid, in his opinion. Overfeeding livestock was fine… if you planned to slaughter them. If you didn't, you just made them sick and he didn't want his kids to be sick. "Papi, want to play?" Tigre tugged on his arm and Grimmjow chuckled before deciding he didn't need anything more either.

"Yeah, sure. Why don't we go on a hunt?" That would take several hours, especially if he let Tigre take the lead. And by the time they had a kill the cub would be hungry, ready to eat some of the best bits. The boy didn't like cooked liver but he loved it raw. Grimmjow smiled as he lifted the boy in his arms. He'd take him out of the city, somewhere they could get a really good hunt in –

"Can Casamir come too? He likes to hunt!" Tigre asked and Grimmjow blinked. He hadn't thought of that, but it wasn't a bad suggestion. Ulquiorra was teaching the other boy to hunt just like he was. And the boy couldn't sustain his wings for long, so they mostly did it on the ground.

"We can see." Orihime and Ulquiorra might be busy with something but it wouldn't take any time to stop by their place and see if their boy was available. Tigre smiled happily as Grimmjow took him outside and launched into a quick sonido. He really hoped Casamir was available.

He still wasn't that fond of Ulquiorra, but Grimmjow really liked his kid.

* * *

Starrk sighed, rubbing his eyes before he turned his attention back to the manuscript in front of him.

He loved reading. The smell of books, the feel of parchment in his fingers, was something he'd always craved. In Hueco Mundo, of course, that had been impossible. He'd almost forgotten his love of books there, but meeting the shinigami had rekindled it. Tosen had brought a near library with him and had been more than willing to lend the Primera his books. Starrk had enjoyed going through it, learning everything he could.

Now, though, he was searching for something more practical. Starrk frowned as he continued working through the manuscript, skimming the words. He needed something specific. Deciding he wasn't finding it here, he rolled up the old piece of vellum and carefully put it back into its spot. As he did, he glanced around the room for a moment.

He was in the Kyoraku clan house, muting his reiatsu as much as he could as he ransacked their library. Even so, Starrk was sure many of the servants had been forced to leave the grounds for the day. An impromptu holiday and he hoped they enjoyed it. The library itself was beautifully appointed, with plush cushions and tables meant for reading and writing. There were large windows, gently shaded with filmy curtains and there was dark wood everywhere. Starrk took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoying the ambiance. He knew a place like this. He'd been somewhere like this before…

Shaking aside that feeling, he went back to the books. He was completely alone in the library… but he wasn't. The door creaked and he looked up sharply, surprised and wary. The Kyoraku clan was as in the dark as anyone about Shunsui's sexual preferences, so he was being strictly avoided by them. Then his eyes softened as he saw it was his pets. They were both smiling, Shunsui in amusement and Juushiro warmly.

"So this is where you've been! Starrk, you've been neglecting us." Shunsui chided him gently and Starrk felt a lurch in the place his heart should be. That was true, he'd been spending the past few days in Juushiro's books. Finding that there was nothing there, he'd abandoned them in favor of older records. Combined with his need for sleep and his duties in the Rukongai, he'd been almost absent from their lives for the past few days.

"I'm sorry." He said remorsefully and blinked as Shunsui laughed and Juushiro shook his head with a smile.

"Starrk, I was joking. But what have you been up to?" He asked and the Coyote bit his lip. That question was something he didn't want to answer.

"I… can't tell you. Aizen has forbidden me to speak to anyone." He said awkwardly and Shunsui frowned. That clearly bothered him. Then Juushiro spoke.

"But we're your pets. You told me once that pets are considered almost an extension of a hollow, since they can't strike out at their Claimer and have to follow any orders faithfully. Wouldn't telling us just be like telling, oh, Lilinette?" He asked and Starrk blinked. That was very close to true. Yet…

"I'm not sure Aizen would see it that way." He said slowly. The problem with Aizen was that he had two codes of conduct to choose from. He usually gave the hollow code a certain degree of respect – easy enough to do since he wasn't a pedophile and could usually forgo the mate position – but he still might see this as defiance on Starrk's part. On the other hand… "But I can't see how he would find out, and the punishment wouldn't be too much… can you ensure that no one else will hear?" They might have a kido that could do that and Starrk really couldn't chance anyone else finding out about this. Aizen would skin him alive, and not figuratively. Juushiro nodded as he began to quietly chant. Starrk could follow the words and power flows, but knew he could never emulate what the shinigami was doing. The power was simply to foreign to his hollow nature.

"You can speak freely now. Starrk, what is it?" He sounded concerned and Starrk sighed before relating what had happened in the Rukongai. He left nothing out, including the body he'd found and the disappearances of several numeros. He also added recent developments… more bodies had been found, two more of the scout creatures dispatched and the numeros had been ordered to always travel in at least pairs, preferably larger groups. None of the hollows knew what was going on and it was putting them on edge, although not as much as the citizens of the Rukongai.

"We already knew about the arrancar and the killings in the Rukongai, but this creature you saw… you have no idea what it was?" Shunsui asked, concerned, and Starrk shook his head.

"No. I only know that Aizen is most concerned." And that concerned him. Aizen was very good at hiding his emotions but Starrk was good at reading them, and he'd seen how unhappy the man was at what was occurring. "I overheard him speaking to Szayel, something about barriers." Starrk knew that Aizen didn't entirely trust Szayel. The Octava was too clever for anyone to put trust in him… but despite that, Aizen had gone to him for help with fathering a child on Unohana. Szayel was working very hard on that, but the Hogyoku had mutated him into something that was barely shinigami anymore. "I don't like this. I'm afraid… I was hoping I might find something in shinigami lore about such creatures." He confessed. Starrk didn't know if such things had ever existed before, but it was the only real hope he had. Shunsui nodded slowly as Juushiro frowned thoughtfully.

"Surely it would be faster if we helped you." Juushiro said and Starrk could only nod. More hands and eyes would certainly help him. Then something occurred to him and he blinked at them.

"…How did you know I was here?" That puzzled him. Through the Claim he could locate them but unless he deliberately called on them, they couldn't do the same. And he certainly hadn't called them. Had they gotten it out of Lilinette? His other half always knew where he was… but Shunsui laughed, grinning cheerfully.

"My clan sent me a message, asking me if I could please collect you so the servants could come back and start supper." He said, amused and Starrk flushed. He hadn't thought about supper at all. "Ah, don't feel bad. They could have eaten cold bread and cheese, they just don't want to."

"And don't you need to sleep Starrk?" Juushiro asked, sounding concerned. Starrk grimaced at the reminder. He did need more sleep, but fortunately…

"Aizen is giving me a few nights off for my good performance. Ulquiorra is taking my rounds." Ulquiorra was another Aizen trusted with some information. He wasn't going to send Grimmjow or Nnoitra into the Rukongai, despite their love of battle. They were far too loose lipped and soon everyone would know about the 'red gel monsters'. Although Starrk suspected that Grimmjow could keep a secret… when it suited him. Nnoitra probably couldn't. Barragan and Halibel would probably be taking turns as well, if their duties permitted. Nnoitra was doing the circuits outside the Rukongai now, and complaining bitterly about it. It took him much longer to cover the range Starrk could handle and he was even less fond of the 'incorporeal stalker' than Starrk had been. Both his pets looked relieved. "I'd planned to sleep after we… ah…" Starrk couldn't help but blush and it quickly got worse as Shunsui laughed and gripped his chin, pulling him close for a passionate kiss.

"That sounds like an excellent plan. Come home, Starrk. We'll help you search tomorrow." Shunsui promised warmly and the Coyote nodded, following his pets out of the library.

Working together, they would find the answer if it was there to be found.

* * *

"So what's this bet?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nerved himself for it. He wasn't sure how the arrancar would react.

"If I win, I want to top you." He said as boldly as he could. Grimmjow's eyes went wide at the thought. "What? You screw me all the time." Ichigo pointed out and the Espada hesitated.

"Yeah… I guess…" He really sounded uncomfortable with the idea and Ichigo frowned. But he knew Aizen had used Grimmjow that way on more than one occasion. And Grimmjow was very dominant, submitting didn't come naturally to him. Then the arrancar took a deep breath, clearly thinking about. "I'll take that bet, but I want something if I win." He said firmly and Ichigo nodded. There would have to be something in this for Grimmjow. "Szayel's got his own bitch knocked up and Starrk's got a kid coming too. I want another kid." Ichigo stared at him, shocked speechless for a moment.

"Grimm! We're not going to have a kid on a BET!" That was just wrong. The Espada scowled as Ichigo continued. "You know, you could have just asked. We might need a bigger house, but I'd like another child." Tigre was getting big so quickly. He easily slept through the night and Ichigo was teaching him his letters and numbers. Grimmjow looked taken aback.

"What, really? Even if I lose?" He said and Ichigo sighed to himself before nodding. "Oh… uh, okay then. I'll do it, just for you." Grimmjow grinned then. "I'm going to pound your ass, shinigami!" Ichigo smiled back, feeling a familiar surge of confidence. This was how he'd always felt when he was about to go to battle… before Ulquiorra had defeated him and Grimmjow had Claimed him. Pushing that thought away, he reached up to pull on his mask.

_Let's show him what's what, King!_ His hollow chirped and Ichigo laughed, silently agreeing. Then the battle was on.

They were in the practice yard for the old Eleventh. It was inhabited by the Numeros now, since most of the Division had died in the fighting and the few survivors were scattered to other units. The wards were the same ones that had held Kenpachi, so Ichigo and Grimmjow could go all out without any real fear of breaching them. There were plenty of watchers, from a safe distance.

Ichigo had a plan. He pushed Grimmjow hard, right from the beginning. The Espada was scowling but refusing to take his resurrection, to keep things 'fair'. He was using Pantera, though, and he needed the sword as Ichigo grabbed a metal pole and used kido to infuse it with lightning. The shock nearly caused Grimmjow to lose his grip on Pantera but he held on, just barely.

"Oi, fuck you!" Grimmjow said and Ichigo laughed again before readying his ultimate attack. He's been working very, very hard on mastering this kido. If he got it right, he was a genius. If not, this was going to hurt. Probably a lot. Reaching for his bracelets he quickly flicked them, putting himself at almost full strength.

"This had better work… Triple piercing beam!" That was just to delay Grimmjow and it worked well, pinning him down. The Espada really had to work at mustering his power to break the binding, which was what Ichigo wanted. It gave him time for a full incantation, something he rarely had time to do in these battles. "Power flows back and forth, seeking its end. Demon light entangling, grasping its foe! Locking bondage stripes!" That was a level sixty-three Bakudo and Ichigo concentrated, hard. If he failed there would be another crater and he and Grimmjow might both be badly hurt.

It worked. Ichigo knew it, felt the power flow through him correctly, knew he'd managed to harness his runaway reiryoku. The chains wrapped around Grimmjow just as he broke the first kido and the Espada went down again, his blue eyes wide in surprise. Ichigo grinned, watching the Espada squirm.

"Rrrr, fuck you! I… shit… Grind, Pantera!" Ichigo's eyes went wide as Grimmjow's power exploded. The kido didn't shatter but he could feel the strain going through it, the way Grimmjow's unleashed reiatsu was warping it. Then it shattered and the Espada was onto him. Ichigo gasped as he was knocked onto his back, staring up into those furious blue eyes. This was the first time he'd seen Grimmjow in full release and he was… beautiful. That long blue hair, the strong, hard body against his… the touch of cold bone over swelling muscles… Ichigo ground his hips against his lover without thinking and the Espada's snarl weakened, turning into a sound that was suspiciously close to a purr.

"Unh… Grimmjow…" Ichigo groaned as clawed hands began to explore him with surprising delicacy. Grimmjow tossed his head and the teen was vaguely aware of the light blue hair, sliding down both sides like a curtain. He was using it to hide what he was doing from the watchers. Then they kissed and Ichigo had to be careful of his fangs, but he marveled at the sight of Grimmjow's face without any bone. He was truly beautiful like this. But…

"I won." He breathed and Grimmjow pulled back, tilting his head slightly. "You cheated. I won." He said more strongly and the Espada grinned at him slowly.

"Oh yeah? How you figure?" He asked, still taunting him with those talented hands. Ichigo grit his teeth, trying to think through the stimulation.

"You said no resurrection since I don't have Zangetsu." He muttered, gripping Grimmjow's shoulders. That felt amazing but he couldn't give in to it. He needed to focus… there was a laugh above him and a wet tongue along his cheek. Ichigo blinked as he suddenly realized he was still wearing his mask. But how? Had learning to control his reiatsu made it possible for him to maintain it longer?

_Of course it has. Now, knock him off you and fuck him into the ground!_ His hollow ordered and Ichigo snorted at the thought. His hollow was far too aggressive, if he was the one in charge he and Grimmjow would probably kill each other. Meeting Grimmjow's eyes, Ichigo deliberately pulled off his hollow mask before reaching up and pulling him into another kiss. That felt better, with no bone in the way.

"Shit. I want to fuck you right now." Grimmjow's voice in his ear made him shiver. "…but you're right. You won." That surprised him and Ichigo met those blue eyes again. The Espada was smiling, but grimly. "I couldn't break free without my resurrection, so you won. Still want to fuck me?" He asked and Ichigo hesitated, seeing something dark in those bright blue eyes. And yet…

"I do." He'd never been inside Grimmjow's body, experienced the arrancar that way. Or anyone else, Grimmjow was still his first and only lover. The Espada nodded slowly and his resurrection faded from him, his sword reappearing. Ichigo felt almost disappointed as the bone vanished. He'd honestly liked Grimmjow that way.

"Later, at home." The Espada said in a promising voice, smiling as he ran a thumb along his jaw. There was still something dark in his eyes and Ichigo wondered what it was… but he knew what Aizen had used him for. That was likely it.

He might find out tonight.

* * *

Ichigo watched as Grimmjow stripped away his jacket and his hakama. The movements were quick, economical. That made him frown because Grimmjow usually took his time taking his clothes off, especially if he knew his pet was watching. Something was off.

"Grimm?" He said softly and blue eyes flicked towards him. They were closed off, cold and empty. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to." That made those eyes thaw a little, warming with a touch of humor. Grimmjow snorted before flopping down on the bed, spreading out in a way that reminded Ichigo of a giant cat.

"Shit, I lost. Are you gonna get naked or do you want me to undress you?" He asked with a leer and that made Ichigo blush before reaching for his clothing. "…I was Claimed once." Grimmjow suddenly said and Ichigo paused, hearing a strange note in his voice. Pain? "It was pretty damned rough." Yes, it was pain. Ichigo swallowed as he kept undressing. He wasn't sure what to say. "That's why I try to be predictable for you… a set routine, set duties. Nothin' worse than an unpredictable Claimer. Got punished for doing something one day, did what I was ordered the next and then got punished for THAT… it was crazy making. You get so you're afraid to do anything." Grimmjow's gaze was far away. "You know, hollows don't commit suicide. But sometimes, we pick fights we can't win…" Ichigo hesitated before joining the arrancar on the bed and gently put his arms around his shoulders. Grimmjow twitched for a moment before his eyes refocused and he really looked at him. The Espada smiled crookedly, resting a hand on his arm. "Blood under the bridge. He's dead now, anyway."

"You killed him?" Ichigo asked then winced a little as Grimmjow laughed. It was an angry, bitter sound.

"No. He was too strong and he kept me half-starved, the bastard. No… he found a female he liked the look of. She didn't like the look of him and she was too strong. I knew it, he probably knew it but he was a bit fucked in the head and decided to try it anyway. Heh… she shared the body with me. I thought I was in love." Grimmjow grinned widely at the memory. "She was too powerful for me though, way too powerful… never saw her again. Sort of a shame. I didn't even get her name. She looked like a fox, though." He shrugged and Ichigo nodded, gently nuzzling him before kissing his throat.

"You did make things predictable for me. I always knew when I was going to be punished for something." He said, gently running a hand over the Espada's side. He wasn't exactly thankful for that, but he understood what Grimmjow was saying. His dad had had an intern at the clinic once who'd been like that… almost impossible to work for because he kept changing his mind and yelling at people for doing what he'd actually told them to do. He hadn't lasted long. How much worse would things have been if Grimmjow had been like that? He didn't even want to think about it. "Are you okay with this?" He asked again, really worried now. The Espada laughed before pulling him into a kiss. Ichigo went with him, enjoying the passion in it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Aizen fucks me sometimes… but how do you want this? From the front or behind?" Grimmjow asked before smiling and speaking seductively. "I'll let you take me from the front… Ichigo." The way he said his name… Ichigo swallowed, his toes curling a little as that tone went straight to his libido.

"That's what I want." It was tempting to take Grimmjow from behind, dominate the Espada the way he'd been dominated, but no. He wanted to see Grimmjow's face, look into his eyes. And after so many times of being taken, he knew what to do. Ichigo explored Grimmjow, sliding his tongue over that scar on his chest. The arrancar groaned and Ichigo looked up, seeing his eyes were half-closed as he stared at the ceiling. Experimentally, he flicked his tongue along the scar and smiled to himself as he saw Grimmjow twitch. That wasn't pain, he was sure of it.

"Shit, Ichigo…" Grimmjow growled and he grinned before going to one nipple. He treated it the way Grimm had always treated him, sucking and then biting, wincing a little at the strength of the hierro. The way the arrancar gasped made the mild pain worth it, though. Making his way down, Ichigo paused at Grimmjow's stomach before nuzzling those washboard abs. He really was almost physical perfection. Only Starrk might be a bit better, and only by the tiniest bit.

Ichigo cradled Grimmjow's balls in one hand, fondling the heavy sack as he moved lower. The Espada was already upright, waiting for his attentions. Ichigo went down on him, willingly taking that huge erection into his mouth and throat. The sound Grimmjow made under him was delicious, somewhere between a groan and a growl.

"Fuck, your throat feels so goddamned good." The Espada groaned as Ichigo sucked, doing his best to deep throat the arrancar. "So fucking hot… shit…" Ichigo rested a hand on his stomach, keeping Grimmjow from thrusting up. He was trying to control himself but it was better not to count on that with something like this. "Unnnh no…" Grimmjow groaned as Ichigo suddenly pulled away. He grinned before making his way up the Espada's body and grinding their cocks together.

"I want to feel your insides." He whispered in Grimmjow's ear and saw the Espada swallow, nervous but also titillated by his voice. He was getting much, much better at his seductive tone. "The lube?"

"Dresser." Grimmjow said, a bit breathless, watching him through half-closed eyes as Ichigo quickly grabbed the lube out of the dresser drawer. It held their other toys but he wasn't going to try those. They would be far too likely to hurt, in his inexperienced hands. "Nnn, shit…" Grimmjow growled as Ichigo parted his thighs and explored his puckered entrance. Sliding a finger past that ring of muscle, Ichigo was surprised by how tight he was. But then, Grimmjow didn't do this very often… only when Aizen demanded it. He took his time, slowly stretching out the blue haired man. Grimmjow was panting and his body was lightly sheened with sweat by the time he was up to three fingers.

"Are you ready?" He asked and Grimmjow gave him a small nod. Taking that for permission, Ichigo slowly sank into that warm, accepting body. He gasped at the incredibly tight, warm heat around his cock. It reminded him a little of sex with Grimmjow's female form but… not quite. No, this was more intense, more right. It felt absolutely wonderful…

Grimmjow wasn't feeling it though. Ichigo could see the pain on his face, the way he was biting his lip and growling softly at the intrusion. He forced himself to hold still, waiting for the arrancar to adjust. Gradually, the pain began to ebb. Grimmjow's growl changed, taking a frustrated edge and Ichigo grinned before he began to thrust, taking the Espada in a slow and careful rhythm.

"You feel so good around my cock." Ichigo whispered in Grimmjow's ear, wondering if he'd like the dirty talk. But turnabout was fair play. From the way he gasped, he did like it. "Like I'm meant to be here… unh…" Ichigo groaned as he picked up the pace, obeying the needs of his body. Grimmjow chuckled harshly and Ichigo looked into his face, brown eyes meeting lust filled blue.

"Don't… count on it… unh…!" Grimmjow gasped and Ichigo kissed him deeply, savoring the taste of his mouth, the feel of his muscles. He wrapped a hand around the Espada's erection, jerking him off as he tried hard to find the perfect angle inside him. He knew he had it from the way Grimmjow jerked, the feral growl he made without thinking. Smiling to himself, Ichigo aimed for that spot, hitting it again and again. Grimmjow made a sound that was close to a whimper and that inflamed his lust even more. He hadn't known that the proud arrancar could make sounds like that.

_I can see why Aizen likes him. He's a great fuck, isn't he?_ Ichigo ignored his hollow, exploring Grimmjow's throat as he speeded the pace of his thrusts, the pumping of that hard length. The Espada mewed, a sound that went straight to his groin and made him take the man even harder. _Shit, the sounds he makes… we need to Claim him King, if we get a chance. Make him our bitch. He can make those sounds all the time._ His hollow sounded like he was in lust but Ichigo ignored him. He wasn't going to put a Hollow Claim on Grimmjow, even if he got the chance. He cared too much for the fierce, brutal, lost and broken soul.

The mating was intense beyond words, but it couldn't last forever. Ichigo felt Grimmjow's pounding heart against his skin, felt the throbbing of his angry erection in his hand. He kissed the Espada deeply, still diving into him, determined to make him cum first. He got his wish as the stimulation became too much. Ichigo's eyes went wide as the Espada suddenly came, his insides clenching around him in a way that was beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Those walls around his cock were too much and Ichigo came with an intensity so great, it practically blinded him. Blinking away the stars he gasped, resting his forehead against the pillow beside Grimmjow's head. That had been the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced… well. Actually, there were a lot of contenders for most amazing thing. But that was definitely way up there.

Ichigo slowly pulled away, fully intending to go to sleep. But bright blue eyes opened and the feral wildness in them provided a brief warning. He was still mostly surprised, though, when Grimmjow surged off the bed and tackled him, forcing him onto his back. He gasped, wide eyed, as the Espada slowly licked his throat. Neither of them were hard, it was too soon, but he knew what Grimmjow was doing.

"Fair's fair, shinigami. You just got to feel my insides, I want to feel yours." The hot lust in that dark voice made Ichigo feel weak. He could feel his cock stirring, despite the fact that he'd already gotten off. "I'm going to take you." Grimmjow promised and Ichigo groaned softly at the thought. He was tired but his body was already getting interested. He could do it again and he would enjoy it.

"Sure." He said breathlessly and Grimmjow grinned before grinding against him. The Espada wasn't really erect either, but they were both coming back to life. Ichigo gasped, his head falling back as he looked at the ceiling.

This was going to be an absolutely amazing night.


	23. Coitus Interruptus

Byakuya frowned as he regarded the wall in front of him. He could feel the kido and recognized the distinctive signature of Juushiro. But his fellow taichou had made a slight mistake… this library belonged to the Kuchiki clan and they possessed the keys to the wards. As the clan head, he could certainly make use of them. Half-closing his eyes, he concentrated on working past the kido without alerting Ukitake.

He wanted to know what was going on. Juushiro, Shunsui and Starrk had all appeared this morning, asking to look at the archives. Not the publicly available library, either, but the archives that contained the lore and history of Soul Society. Byakuya didn't believe Shunsui's story about a need for some old architectural plans. That had certainly bored Yammy and caused the idiot to lose interest, but Byakuya was far from thick. Why would Starrk be interested in such things? Perhaps he had wide interests, but even if he did, Byakuya doubted they encompassed architecture.

"…So many books." Starrk's voice came through and Byakuya couldn't help the twitch of his lips at the wonder in the Espada's voice. "I could stay here for years."

"The Kuchiki clan would have to live on nothing but bread and cheese. It would be so tragic." Shunsui, and he sounded… happy? Byakuya hadn't been able to associate with his fellow taichou much, outside of work, but he suddenly wondered how different the Espada households were from each other. Shunsui and Juushiro were raped by Starrk, that was a given, but he had a reputation for being almost gentle. "I think we can skip over this area, it's all too recent. Let me think… yes, back here. This would be about where my clans' library cut off." So they had already gone through the Kyoraku clans' records. Interesting.

The next several hours were rather boring. But fortunately, Yammy was off doing something for Aizen – Byakuya didn't care what – and wouldn't be home until late. He had the time to spend. Although something interrupted him midway through.

"Daddy Bya? What you doin'?" A squeaky little voice asked and he looked up from the wall with a small smile. Katapira was there, a finger in her mouth as she looked at him with soft grey eyes. Those eyes were reminding him more strongly of himself, now. Particularly since the mind looking out from behind them was far sharper than her other father's.

"I'm listening. Do you want to try to listen too?" He asked and she nodded, her eyes going wide at the opportunity to participate. Byakuya knew she wouldn't hear anything, of course. But trying would distract her and let him concentrate… although there wasn't much happening right now. Just the occasional murmur from Starrk, who seemed to talk when he was thinking. Not a good habit for a noble, but probably quite meaningless for a solitary hollow.

Kata pressed her ear to the wall, trying to listen as Byakuya watched with a small smile. Then she looked up at him with a puzzled and wondering look.

"I hear pitter-patters." She announced, taking him by surprise. "Like rainy day. What is it Bya-pappy?" She asked and he hesitated. That was strange.

"I don't know." Although… her hearing could be very good. Yammy didn't – thank god – but Byakuya knew several Espada had superhuman hearing. He'd learned that from Renji, in fact. He'd hunted the redhead down to see how he was doing with the notoriously violent Sexta Espada. It was a relief to find that Grimmjow apparently reserved his violence for enemies. "Hmm." He regarded the wall, thinking about it. Pitter patters… "Maybe it's bugs. There are bugs in the walls." He wished there weren't, but bugs were a sad fact of life. You did your best to keep them under control but they were always there. Kata looked horrified for a moment.

"Ew, bugs!" She exclaimed and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're named after a bug, you know." He said to her teasingly. The little girl looked at him uncomprehendingly. "Katapira. Caterpiller. Like kamushi." She probably knew that term for caterpillars, if she'd ever seen them. The little girl looked dismayed.

"I don't want to be a bug! I want to be a princess." She said and Byakuya wondered. Did all little girls desire to be a princess? Was it a phase they went through? Shimonami definitely had the same desire. "Like my book. The princess with the axe!" Well, that was different. "If I get a big axe I can make Yammy-papi go away." She whispered that and Byakuya winced before gently pulling her into a hug.

"Maybe someday." Although he highly doubted it. Still, their little girl might someday match Yammy's power and sadly, Byakuya did not doubt that he would make her hate him. He was too destructive not to. He only hoped that it wasn't too traumatizing for her. "Where is your nana?" He asked, suddenly wondering. Miyaki really should be with the girl.

"Nana went for snacks but I wanted you so I went to find you." Kata said and Byakuya smiled to himself. That was sweet but he was sure her nana was searching for her.

"Why don't you go find your nana? She must be worried about you." He suggested and Kata's eyes widened as if they hadn't occurred to her. Likely it hadn't, she was just a small girl and not too good at thinking through the consequences of her actions yet.

"Yes Bya-pappy!" She ran out of the room and he marveled at how large she was. A year and a half old, but she looked more like three or four. He was honestly glad of it, although his reasons had changed somewhat. Before, he just hadn't wanted to spend anymore time raising her than necessary. Now that she had a nana, though, he was freed from mundane tasks and could spend time with her in the ways he preferred. It was far more pleasant. However, he still wanted her to grow up quickly. The sooner she became an adult, the sooner she could get out of this unhappy household.

Turning his attention back to his spying, Byakuya heard something slightly interesting.

"We're not going to find anything tonight." Starrk sounded very unhappy. "And I have to go back to my duties tomorrow… can you continue to search without me?"

"Certainly. It will be much easier for us, honestly. We don't have to worry about our reiatsu. But Starrk, these books often have pictures. We have your descriptions but we still won't know exactly what we're looking for. Do you have any artistic talent? Could you make us a sketch?" Juushiro asked. There was a brief silence and Byakuya blinked as he heard the Espada respond.

"Yes, I… I can draw." His tone was strange. Haunted? Yes, that was a good word for it. "I just don't like to. It reminds me of… something…" There was a rustling and Byakuya tried to imagine what was happening. Then Starrk spoke again, his voice stronger. "Here, there's some paper. Let me…" Then there was a scratching sound. Byakuya grit his teeth. He would give anything to see that picture, but he might as well wish for Yammy's Claim to suddenly fall off.

"My, what an ugly thing." Shunsui said, clearly looking at the picture. "I know we shouldn't judge by appearances but just from that, I wouldn't be surprised to find it was turning people inside out." Inside out? Byakuya's interest sharpened. This was about the killings in the Rukongai! There were rumors of a possible riot building there, as the panic grew worse. The killings were very sporadic, a rash of murders, a pause and then another bunch of deaths.

"It's very weak though. Even an unseated shinigami might be able to handle it." Starrk said. "If they were clever, and it didn't take them by surprise… it was very fast." He added, sounding thoughtful. "It must have taken the Numeros by surprise." That was an interesting tidbit. Numeros had died to this thing they were discussing? Byakuya briefly wished he had someone like Grimmjow assigned to him. It might be annoying but at least he would hear the gossip among the arrancar.

"Yes. Well, let's mark our places and get going." There were sounds of books and other things being put away and Byakuya reluctantly put aside his spying. It was definitely getting late, the servants would have to hurry to put together supper. Leaving behind that little room, he went to find Kata. He could enjoy a bit of tea and snacks with her and her nursemaid.

She really was an adorable child. He only hoped she stayed that way.

* * *

"This is not a good idea." Casamir said and Tigre grinned, looking at little Kata. She had a thumb in her mouth, looking at him with soft grey eyes. She was such a little kid… but that was perfect for this.

"I know, but you want a cookie too right?" He said and his friend hesitated before nodding. Casamir could be a stick in the mud, sometimes. He wanted to make his papi proud of him and his papi was a stick in the mud, too. Tigre's papi was better, in his opinion. Grimm-papi wanted him to run around and adventure, which was just what the little boy wanted to do. He liked to see him try things, although sometimes he would get spanked anyway. Ichi-papi was much the same, although he didn't spank. That was all Grimm-papi. "Okay, let's do this!"

_This_ was a spirited attempt to get the cookie jar down off the refrigerator. It had been on the island, but Tigre had quickly figured out how to climb up there and toss down cookies to his friends. Casamir's wings worked too, but he'd been forbidden to fly indoors after the third vase he'd accidentally broken. He took that seriously so they were going to do this without the use of flying. Instead, Tigre took the bottom. Casamir stood on his shoulders and Kata climbed them both, making use of her four arms. Those were really cool. Then she stood on Casamir's shoulders, reaching for the cookie jar. She could just barely reach it…

She reached it and managed to grip it, pulling it towards herself. Unfortunately, the extra weight unbalanced them. Tigre yelped as he felt Casamir pulling back, unbalancing him as well. All three of them fell backwards, the cookie jar going with them. Kata lost her grip on it, which was probably just as well – it was heavy enough to hurt if it had landed on her – and as they all tumbled down it hit the ground and shattered. Tigre cringed at the sound of pottery breaking and Kata's sudden howl. She'd been at the top and fallen the farthest. Her landing had actually been rather good but it still stung.

"What's going on – oh dear!" Orihime came into the room and stopped, appalled. There were bits of cookies and pottery spread out everywhere.

"It was a space alien." Tigre said with absolute sincerity. Auntie Inoue looked at him in disbelief before suddenly laughing. She was chuckling as she went to gather up Kata. She was just sniffling now, tears in her eyes.

"A space alien with orange hair – ow!" Casamir scowled and rubbed his arm. "I told you it was a bad idea." He muttered as Tigre smiled hopefully at Orihime. Maybe she wouldn't tell Uncle Ulquiorra about this –

"Onna? What is going on?" Ah, no hope. Tigre looked at the ground as Ulquiorra surveyed the mess. "I would ask what you thought you were doing, but it's quite obvious." His tone was dry and Tigre supposed that was true. "Do you know what this means?"

"…We're bad little kids and we don't get cookies?" Tigre asked. He hoped that was what it meant. He didn't want a spanking. Ulquiorra's lips twitched a little before he spoke.

"That as well. But you both can fetch the dustpan and broom from the pantry and clean up this mess." He said and the boys both obeyed instantly. That would be a rather a light punishment. "I will be telling Grimmjow about this activity." He added and Tigre winced a little. Grimm-papi would be proud of his daring… but he'd still get a spanking, probably, for breaking the cookie jar. That was okay though.

Things like this happened all the time.

* * *

Byakuya smiled at the child in his lap. She dipped her quill pen in ink before beginning the slow, laborious process of mastering kanji. At that, though, she was already doing better than her other father. Yammy didn't read and didn't care to learn.

"Me!" She announced as she finished her name. Byakuya nodded before gently correcting a small mistake. However…

"That's very good Kata. Now, let me show you – " He stopped and the child gripped his kimono as they both felt the weight of Yammy's reiatsu. Fortunately, he wasn't nearly as strong as Starrk when he was sealed. The Kuchiki clan could survive around him… mostly. He'd eaten several of them over the years.

"Oi! Where's the brat?" Byakuya felt a tug on his Claim and sighed to himself as he gently lifted Kata in his arms. She whimpered softly and they both knew what was happening. Yammy wanted to take Katapira out for a hunt.

Byakuya couldn't be sure, of course, but he didn't think the other Espada were teaching their children like this. Tigre clearly loved his arrancar father just as much as Kurosaki. Casamir was not as demonstrative, just like his own father, but Byakuya thought he had a similar bond with Ulquiorra. He knew Shimonami loved her mother and she boasted all the time about her successful hunts. If they had been anything like the torture Yammy put Kata through, he doubted she would be talking about them so much. Yammy ran Kata to exhaustion and if the little girl didn't catch any prey, she was not permitted to eat. And at her age, Kata very rarely caught prey.

But there was nothing he could do. Katapira had already realized that her other father was powerless to disobey although she didn't quite know why. He took her to Yammy with a heavy heart and the brute grunted as she took the child. Kata's eyes were wide and she had a thumb in her mouth, sucking in an effort to comfort herself. It made her look even younger and he could only hope she found prey tonight. Miyaki watched as they left, her mouth a thin, angry line. She loved Kata and deeply resented what Yammy put her through, but she knew better than to speak.

It was hours before they returned and, as expected, Katapira was staggering with exhaustion and hunger. The little girl had been unsuccessful – how could she not? She was a tiny child! – and they were forced to put her to bed hungry. Or so he thought.

After her Bya-papi left her room, Kata opened her eyes. Moving very quietly, she slipped out of bed and went to her secret place. It was a little hole she'd made in the floor, a place she'd managed to dislodge a tile. Inside was a bit of sushi. She'd managed to hide it in her dress at lunch. It wasn't much but she devoured it quickly before going back to bed. The tiny bit of rice and old fish didn't do much to ease the ache in her stomach but it helped a bit and she quickly lapsed into an exhausted slumber, dreaming about a barbarian princess with an axe.

Someday, she would have an axe.

* * *

Tigre's eyes narrowed as he slowly stalked the rabbit in front of him.

He was determined to make a kill today. He wasn't concerned about starvation – he hardly knew what it was to be hungry – but he wanted to make both his fathers' proud of him. This was how he pleased Grimm-papi and the thought of a raw rabbit liver made his mouth water. He wanted to make this kill!

That eagerness betrayed him. He leapt a bit too soon and the rabbit leaped away, startled and terrified. Tigre chased it but he didn't have sonido yet and it easily beat him. Stopping, the little boy almost cried in frustration. He'd wanted that kill so bad…!

"Oi, it's okay. It's just a rabbit." Grimmjow said with a laugh and Tigre shook his head. He knew it was just a rabbit but he still felt ashamed that he'd lost it. "Hmm, it's getting late. Why don't we go home and see what your aunt's making?" It wouldn't be raw rabbit liver but the thought did cheer him up. Whatever Yuzu was making would be delicious. Following his father home, Tigre greeted his aunt's cheerfully as soon as he got inside.

He really liked Karin and Yuzu. They were very different, though. Karin liked to take him out to play and she was teaching him something called 'soccer' that he really liked. They'd talked Grimm-papi and Itsy-papi into playing too, and while two people in a team wasn't much they'd still had fun. Yuzu was more of a mama type… she was teaching him to cook, which Grimm-papi thought was a good idea. He said he shouldn't get mated just to have good cooking. Tigre thought the idea of mating was gross – he was only a small boy – but cooking was fun. He especially loved eating afterwards.

Supper that night was beef shanks braised in wine, with onions. Tigre loved it from the very first bite and he told his aunt so, loudly. Itsy-papi laughed and gently hugged him from the side, telling him dessert would be even better. Tigre beamed as he heard that. They didn't have dessert every night, maybe once a week. It was always a special night when Yuzu did some baking.

After supper Tigre spent some time with Itsy-papi, working on his reading. He had already mastered the basics and he really loved to read, so he had a lot of fun reading a book out loud for his papi's. After he was done Grimm-papi laughed and ruffled his hair, congratulating him on a job well done as Ichigo smiled.

Soon, though, he had to go to bed. As he slept, though, he had a terrible dream. It woke him with a feeling of absolute terror and Tigre looked around fearfully, seeing a monster in every shadow. Scooting out of bed he went downstairs, going to Ichigo's and Grimmjow's room. He was using the rec room as a bedroom until Karin left for the shinigami academy. Then he would have her room, but for now this was his.

The door wasn't closed fully, so he just pushed it open. Then he blinked and stared. Grimm-papi was doing something _weird_ to Itsy-papi. Itsy-papi was leaning against the wall, his arms braced against it as Grimm-papi shoved him? And Grimm-papi had his hand on his pee-pee. Tigre didn't know exactly what they were doing but he quickly come to the conclusion that this was one of those _adult things_ that they wouldn't talk about in front of him. Itsy-papi noticed him there and Tigre said the only thing he could think of.

"Ewwww." Then he closed the door and went back to his room. He wasn't really scared anymore and he definitely didn't want to stay in bed with them now.

Adults were really weird.

* * *

"…" Ichigo's shock and horror were absolutely complete as Tigre closed the door and left. Grimmjow had frozen behind him, hand still wrapped around his member. Then the Espada spoke, sounding almost thoughtful.

"You know, in all my years as adjuchas and a Living man, this shit has never, ever happened before." He said as Ichigo tried to comprehend what had just occurred. "I've lost my erection."

"…Me too." He croaked out, although Grimmjow would already know. The cock in his hand had suddenly gone limp. "Oh my god." They'd both wanted it quick and dirty tonight so Grimmjow had been taking him against the wall. Neither of them had anticipated… Ichigo was about to tell Grimmjow off for not closing the door properly, then realized it had likely been him. He'd come into the room after the Espada. "That… completely killed the mood." He didn't think he could get it up again after that. Grimmjow grunted and pulled away.

"Yeah. Fuck, I was having fun. Shit, let's just go to bed." He sounded a bit annoyed and Ichigo didn't blame him. He was just glad Grimmjow hadn't figured out this was his fault. He wouldn't be punished but Grimmjow would probably yell at him, and rightly so. "Shit, I forgot to close and lock the door." Oh, he thought he'd done it. Ichigo struggled with himself for a moment before admitting to the truth.

"I think it was me. I'll do it next time." He promised and Grimmjow looked a little surprised before nodding. "Let's go to bed." They could at least cuddle a bit before falling asleep. Ichigo wondered when they would have the sex talk with Tigre and decided it would have to be soon.

They would need to explain what the little boy had witnessed.

* * *

"Starrk, I think this is it." Juushiro said with an edge of excitement and Starrk lifted his head from the book he'd been sleeping on, blinking. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, it had just been unutterably boring.

"It is? Let me see." He stood behind the shinigami, looking over the entry. "The war of the Red Queen… it happened over five thousand years ago?" Even for shinigami, that was a long time. Theoretically, shinigami could live to be two thousand. In reality that rarely happened and they tended to live on human time, when it came to generations and cultural events. So while it was possible that someone's grandpa had seen this war, it wasn't very likely. "Why do you – oh." There were pictures, drawings that had been faithfully preserved from that time. Starrk felt a chill as he looked at the etchings. It wasn't a perfect match, but that might be artistic differences. It was definitely close.

"Let me read for you." Juushiro said and Starrk nodded, stepping back. He and Shunsui could read perfectly well, of course, but there was only one book. This was likely faster than passing it around. They both listened to the account of the battles and terrible deeds.

In that long ago time, a death cult had devoted themselves to bringing the Red Queen into their reality. Starrk felt a chill as the creature was described… apparently it lived in the cast off bits of reality, the pieces that had been left behind when the three worlds were created. Or, more accurately, it existed there. Those bits and pieces had no true time, no reality as they would understand the term. A completely alien lifeform had emerged there, something that bore no resemblance to anything in their reality. For some reason, though, it craved what it did not have. And given the slightest opening, it would try to steal from the three worlds. The cult had given it an opening, creating weak points in the reality in all three worlds simultaneously. They had actually had a powerful hollow helping them and he had taken Hueco Mundo while the rest of the cult worked in Soul Society and the Living world. Starrk blinked as he heard that a group of shinigami had been dispatched to Hueco Mundo to take care of the problem there. They had never returned, but their mission must have succeeded as the incursion was stopped.

One thing about the account made them all feel a little ill. According to the story, the creatures could only feed on individuals with reasonably high reiryoku, at least shinigami level. Other humans, they would do things with – like the bodies he'd found in the Rukongai – but otherwise leave untouched. That was actually good for them because those with higher reiryoku were… gone. Not devoured in the sense that a hollow would understand, but simply vanished, gone entirely from the three worlds. The authors of the account were reasonably sure that the lost souls were trapped in those cast off bits, becoming part of the timeless horror that was the Red Queen. Starrk swallowed, wondering what that would feel like. Would it feel like anything? Would it be an endless hell? He didn't know… but whatever it was, it was permanent. No way had ever been found to reclaim souls from the Red Queen.

"But this story… it says that the death cult engineered the openings for her. If the stalker that's been following me is this creature, it's been looking at me from dozens of places!" Starrk couldn't hide the anxiety in his voice as Shunsui and Juushiro exchanged a glance. "And the watching goes away as soon as Aizen does something. What's going on? Why is this happening?" What was causing the breaches in reality? Another death cult? But the Coyote couldn't see how that was possible. If every feeling of being watched was this thing trying to come through, the breaches were happening everywhere.

"I don't know Starrk. But I think we need to figure it out." Shunsui said seriously and Starrk could only nod.

He didn't really trust Aizen. This was far too dangerous to leave in his hands.


	24. The Coyote Caged

Ichigo sipped his tea, trying not to feel nervous.

He was wearing a formal kimono, dark brown and white in a very masculine style. It was nothing he'd ever worn before, but he'd managed to get it on correctly. Grimmjow was sitting in front of him, wearing his Espada uniform. It was the same as usual, unlike Starrk's. Ichigo couldn't help but look at him a bit. The Primera Espada was wearing a bolero jacket with an asymmetrical edge. It did nothing to hide his stunning chest and the tailored pants he was wearing matched it perfectly. The ensemble was drool worthy. Ichigo would have felt bad about looking but Grimmjow's head had definitely turned when the Coyote had entered the room. So why should he feel bad about it?

The other pets in the room were like him, wearing very formal clothing. Renji was in a kimono of dark red and rust. Grimmjow had gotten it for him just a week ago, so the Espada had been given some warning about this meeting. It almost had the feel of a ceremony. What was going on?

Aizen came in with Gin, and the silver-haired traitor was pulling a cart behind him with a rope. Ichigo's interest sharpened as he sensed something familiar and he felt the hollow in his mind stiffening like a terrier on point.

_Old man?_ He whispered and Ichigo could hear the yearning in the hollow's voice. That surprised him a bit. Had his hollow been missing Zangetsu? But he throttled his hope ruthlessly. It would be just like Aizen to taunt them with the presence of their swords. It would explain, though, why anyone not taichou class had been excluded from this meeting. Nnoitra was there but Isane wasn't with him.

"My Espada. You've all done quite well in your duties… and so have your pets. I have decided that with so much proof of your control over them, there is no longer any reason to deny them the other half of their souls." Ichigo swallowed as Aizen nodded at Gin. The cover was pulled off the cart, revealing the weapons, carefully stacked and held in place with silk ropes. His eyes went to the largest weapon in the cart, the huge blade that could only be Zangetsu. "Kuchiki Byakuya. Come, accept your sword." Yammy was scowling as the noble left his side, clearly a bit overwhelmed as he took back Senbonzakura. "Ukitake Juushiro…" Ichigo just watched as all the captive taichou were called up to take back their weapons. Lisa was present, but not included and Ichigo wondered why. Her sword was missing… but then he decided it had to be because of the Mating Claim. Unlike the rest of them, she had some free will and was a potential danger. Although, why was she here at all then? He wasn't entirely sure.

When his turn came, the feeling of being reunited with his sword was simply amazing. Ichigo sternly suppressed the reaction, refusing to let Aizen see how much this was affecting him. When he returned to his seat, though, there was a screech so loud it almost made his eyes cross.

_ZANGETSU!_ Then there was the sound of something hitting something else and Ichigo grinned to himself. Had his hollow just tackled old man Zangetsu? He was willing to bet he had. No wonder his hollow had gone to sleep, he'd been missing his other half as much as Ichigo.

_Stop that –_ Zangetsu sounded irritated and Ichigo chuckled softly. Then he felt a tug on the Claim and blinked as he realized the meeting was continuing. Aizen might notice if he wasn't paying attention and he devoted himself to the proceedings.

A lot of it was very pertinent to the shinigami in the room. It was all about Grimmjow's audit. His style of presentation was interesting, to say the least.

"So yeah, I love that girl of yours. Nanao, right? I hope Findorr realizes she's smarter than him. Best records I ever saw and the math was all good. No creative accounting." He said and Shunsui nodded slightly, faintly relieved. "Juushiro, right? You need to kill this guy. Nagarobi Soju. Or not, I don't care, but don't let him work on your funds. Bastard stole close to a hundred thousand yen." Ichigo winced as Juushiro went a little pale. "I'll show you how he did it, later. Other than that everything's fine. Byakuya…" Grimmjow kept going through the shinigami, telling them who was good and who wasn't. One part was rather funny, though. "Gin, you're a complete fuck up. Your Division is the worst of all of them." He concluded and there was a brief silence before Aizen suddenly laughed. That was like a signal and everyone else around the table started to chuckle. Gin just shrugged, smiling innocently. "Borrow that Nanao chick and try to get your paperwork in order. Even the math is wrong. You're not exceeding your budget by too much, though, which I consider a fucking miracle."

"Aw, Grimmy, you're so sweet! I admit, I miss Kira a lot. Never was much good at math." Gin admitted and Ichigo watched as Grimmjow nodded. "Shunsui? Can I borrow Nanao for a while? Maybe she'll have some idea who I can get to take care of this." He asked and Shunsui nodded easily.

"I can live without her for a while. But no more than a month, please. The paperwork does pile up." He said and Gin nodded. After that the meeting went onto some issues with the arrancar units, which didn't affect the shinigami much but was rather interesting. Eventually, they were dismissed.

To Ichigo's surprise, Grimmjow wasn't the least bit happy about the return of his zanpakuto. He mumbled unflattering things about Aizen on the way home and Ichigo frowned, feeling slightly offended. Grimmjow had told him before that he wanted him to have Zangetsu back. Why was he fussing now? Fortunately, Renji put it into words.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted us to have our swords." He said and Ichigo blinked. Grimmjow wanted Renji to have Zabimaru? But then, he did think of them as a pack and their power was his power. The Espada grunted, running a thumb over his mask fragment.

"Yeah, the problem with this is that I figured I'd manage to nag Aizen into it. But no, he gave back everyone's zanpakuto and he did it because HE wanted to, because he's going to be getting something out of it. And there's one hell of a riot building in the Rukongai. Don't you guys get it? He gave you back your weapons so you could use them." Grimmjow almost spat the words and Ichigo went pale as he understood. Renji winced before looking away.

"…Oh, yeah. I should have remembered." He said softly and Grimmjow grunted again before suddenly gripping Ichigo's arm. Ichigo let it happen and tried to relax against him as the Espada put an arm around his waist, pulling him close. He could feel the tension in the arrancar's body and swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Maybe Grimmjow was wrong about what was going to happen. It wasn't likely, but he had to hope.

* * *

"I, wait, what?" Starrk looked at kami with horror. Had he just said what he thought he'd said? "But… but my twins is coming in just two months! I can't… I need to…" He was grasping at straws and he knew it. Mia had located a nanny for them, a retired shinigami who had raised several children of her own. His pets would be there, there was no real need for him to be around when the children were born. But he'd met the woman who was carrying the twins and the Coyote desperately wanted to be there when the babies came. "Aizen, please." He appealed and kami smiled at him. The expression was warm and reassuring. Starrk only wished he thought it was trustworthy.

"I'm aware of your life events, Starrk. I'll send someone to relieve you as soon as the woman goes into labor." He promised and Starrk bit his lip. The message would take a while to reach him… but it wasn't like children came out instantaneously. "And then you'll be able to stay in Soul Society for at least a few months. I plan to rotate my Espada to take care of this new task."

"…" Starrk hesitated but there was really no way to refuse Kami's orders. And he could easily see why Aizen didn't want to trust the pets with such a thing. Even with direct orders, they wouldn't fight their best against the Visored and the others. "May I ask what this is for?" It would be his job to guard several special towers that were being erected in the Living World. Starrk had a very good idea what they would be used for but he wanted to see what Aizen would say. Kami smiled, gentle and inflexible.

"I cannot say." He said and Starrk sighed to himself. This was something to do with the Red Queen.

"Then I will get started immediately." Starrk said, glad of at least one thing. He would miss the latest purge in the Rukongai. Everyone knew it was coming, with the public hysteria that kept rising with every horribly mutilated body found. He wished he could be there to support Shunsui and Juushiro, but he wasn't going to miss murdering innocents.

His soul was stained enough. He preferred to avoid adding more bloodstains.

* * *

Grimmjow grinned as he tossed bala after bala into the crowd of milling, screaming plus souls.

They had balls, he was willing to give the mob that. Maddened and furious, a whole group of pluses and shinigami wannabies had tried to storm the East gate. They'd even had explosives and had done some damage, but they hadn't broken inside. Now they were stalled and dying, still trying to get into the Seireitei. They hadn't realized yet that they'd walked into a trap.

The trap was already well and truly sprung. There were more than enough powerful shinigami available to handle the mobs' escape routes. Ichigo was out there holding one of them, something that didn't gladden Grimmjow's heart. But this mass of morons had nowhere to go. They were dead, they just hadn't realized it yet.

Eventually, though, the will had to break. The mob finally scattered, trying to find escape routes and running into the shinigami waiting there. It was a truly massive mob – Grimmjow had no idea how many but was willing to be it was well over five thousand – and the screams were pretty damned loud as they ran into things like Senbonzakura. Grimmjow winced as he suddenly got a wave of negativity through the Claim. Of course Ichigo would feel bad about this. The feedback angered him, though, and Grimmjow growled before charging up a full cero. He used it to incinerate a large swatch of fallen protesters, turning them into nothing but ash and bone. Then he laughed. It was a cruel, soulless sound.

Vaulting down off the wall of the Seireitei, he went to go find Ichigo. Plenty of other arrancar were having fun, murdering these cretins. They didn't really need his help. Ignoring the piles of bodies and the pools of blood, Grimmjow follow the Claim. The feelings he was getting from Ichigo were getting worse.

When he arrived, Grimmjow paused for a moment to admire his pet's work. Ichigo had been busy and there were dead bodies scattered around this alleyway. Grimmjow examined the corpses for a moment before concluding they had all been adult and mostly male. Of course, this wasn't like the square. They hadn't gathered these people up, they'd gathered themselves. No children were involved.

Ichigo was leaning against a wall, his head down. Blood painted his clothing and his eyes were tightly closed. His face was white and he looked like he was about to puke. No… he'd already puked. Grimmjow glanced at the mess before going to his mate and putting his arms around him.

"Hey. Calm down." He used the Claim, gently tugging on it. Grimmjow had no compunctions about using the Claim when his pets were in emotional pain. Ichigo lifted his head, opening his eyes. The brown looked tormented, full of pain. "Seriously, calm down." Grimmjow said softly although he didn't understand what was going through Ichigo's mind. In fact… "What's wrong? They were warriors. Shit, you must have killed people before this." This had been nearly a battle. Sure, the people they were fighting didn't have shit for skill but they'd definitely been determined and there had been a lot of them. Ichigo shook his head.

"No." He said, his sword taking some of his weight, where the tip rested on the ground. Blood dripped off the blade, staining the already stained ground. "I… never killed anyone, before this." Ichigo said and Grimmjow blinked. Was he serious? "I hurt some people pretty badly but everyone got better. I…" He swallowed hard, clearly feeling nauseated. Grimmjow was a little speechless. Had he really never…?

"What, not even in Los Noches?" He asked and Ichigo shook his head. "I knew you spared Dordoni but…" This was weird. He hadn't killed anyone? Of course, he was pretty young, but even so. Grimmjow had heard about the whole breaking into Soul Society to save Rukia thing. If that had been him there would have been bodies everywhere. "That's fucking amazing. Sorry you had to break the streak like this." He really was sorry about that. Ichigo managed a very small smile but it didn't come anywhere near his eyes. "Remember, it's not your fault. I ordered you to be here." That was nothing but the truth. Grimmjow had used the Claim, ordering Ichigo to stay here and kill anyone who tried to pass. Of course… Ichigo put it into words.

"Because Aizen ordered it. I'll be fine Grimm. It might take a while, but I'll be fine." He said and Grimmjow nodded. He was sure Ichigo would be fine… although not, perhaps, the same person he'd been before. He would be different now. From his experience as a Living man, Grimmjow knew that the first kill was the hardest but after that, it got easier. Eventually it was nothing. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? He wasn't sure, but it was definitely a thing.

"Come on. Let's see if they need us for anything, then get home to the girls and Tigre." Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded before looking at his sword in revulsion. The Espada reached down and tore away a bit of semi-clean clothing, offering it to the shinigami. Ichigo took a deep breath before accepting it and using the rag to wipe the blood away. Dropping it, they made their way back to the area in front of the gate. He felt Ichigo's nausea and horror through the Claim, but ignored it.

He couldn't keep the teen safe forever. Hopefully, he would adapt.

* * *

Starrk watched the crystal at the top of the tower blink, almost mesmerized by the irregular pattern. The color of light varied, too, and it was really quite beautiful. Strangely, he had an urge to sketch the scene. He repressed it easily. He had no paper and pencils, nothing to work with. And he knew if he tried, the feel of drawing would bring back echoes of pain. Starrk didn't know how, but he knew that deep in the recesses of his mind, something about art had hurt him…

Shaking away the thought, he turned around and regarded the landscape around him. Karakura town had been abandoned by the humans and he didn't blame them a bit. As a result, the buildings were slowly collapsing in on themselves, falling prey to neglect and the elements. The stark, barren landscape made the Coyote feel a bit depressed. He liked living things, the gardens and life of Soul Society. Or even the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, which held a stark kind of beauty. The ruins of Karakura town stank of death and decay.

"This is really boring." Lilinette complained, kicking her legs from her seat on the tower. Starrk smiled at her.

"Better boring than hectic and terrifying." He said easily. Once already, there had been a full out attack on three of the towers. There were five of them in all and he had a small tool that would alert him to any attacks. The towers possessed shields that could block the creatures for a time, but only a time. The red things were quite interested in getting through… but whenever he arrived, his power seemed to distract them. They went after him immediately and so far, Starrk hadn't had much trouble putting them down. The only terror involved had been the fear that one of the towers might fall to them. If he failed his duty, Aizen would be displeased.

Fortunately that hadn't happened and the creatures seemed to be becoming thin on the ground. Starrk had an idea that this setup of Szayels' was designed to prevent them from coming through. Aizen couldn't really spare the time to go to the Living world, so he'd gotten Szayel onto the problem. It followed that Szayel knew what was happening and Starrk wished, badly, that he could question the scientist. Not about the Red Queen but why this was happening now, in this way. What was causing the barriers to weaken? The Coyote still had no answer to that question.

"Oooh, I smell some! Come on Starrk!" Lilinette jumped down off her perch and took off at a run. Starrk hesitated, considering calling her back. But if the creatures were about they would undoubtedly be seeking them out anyway. Maybe it would be better to be proactive. And the monitor of Szayel's would let him know if the towers were in danger. "HEY! Give me some power over here!" She called and Starrk smiled to himself before calling on her energy.

"Kick About, Los Lobos!" Lilinette abruptly took her spirit wolf form – spirit coyote? – and Starrk felt the familiar weight of guns in his hands. Then he blinked as the wolves suddenly multiplied. "Lilinette?" The wolves flew towards a large group of red things. They were surrounding two strangers – no. Not exactly strangers. He'd felt this reiatsu before although he'd never fought either of them. It was powerful but there were a lot of red things… then Starrk's remaining eye went wide as he realized what was about to happen. "LILINETTE! NO!" The explosion of her power in such close proximity to the shinigami… if Starrk had had any time to think, he might have reconsidered his action. But he didn't, and he was a good man at heart. He responded without thinking.

And the world dissolved in pain.

* * *

"What…?" Soi Fon pulled herself to her hands and knees, gasping and coughing. Kensei shook his head, trying to stop the ringing in his ears.

"I… don't know…" The survivors had been in the midst of staging a careful attack on the Espada. He was the Primera, the strongest of the Espada (they weren't aware of the Cero rank) and they had decided that they needed to take him with a quick and brutal attack. With all the Visored as well as Yoruichi, Soi Fon and Urahara, they'd been fairly confident they could overwhelm him. Of course, Aizen likely knew that too, which indicated the towers might have unusual defenses. But they had to try.

What they really hadn't considered was the red things. They'd been showing up for weeks and randomly attacking them, but when the towers had gone up they had all vanished. Now they knew why… the damned things were congregating around the towers, seemingly frustrated about something. Frustration they were more than willing to turn on two intruders. Things had been bad, before that explosion had happened. But what had caused it?

Both of them stared as they saw the person standing in front of them. His back was to them, his arms outstretched and there was a shining wall of incredibly powerful reiatsu between them and the blackened crater in front of him. Smoke rose from the man's – no, arrancar's clothing in tiny puffs. The wall abruptly vanished as he fell forward, hitting the ground with a thump.

"Starrk!" That voice caught both their attention and they looked in disbelief at the gun on the ground. A weapon was talking? "Wake up! You have enemies right behind you! You have to wake up! Starrrrrrk!" The tinny little voice cried and Soi Fon and Kensei exchanged a glance. This was the Espada? "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I blew you up! Starrk, wake up!" Kensei hesitated before going to collect the guns as Soi Fon swallowed and reached for her cell phone.

"Yoruichi-sama? We have captured the Espada…" He ignored her as he gently turned the arrancar onto his back. The Espada was badly burned and from the condition of his reiatsu, he was in shock. The guns in his hand yelped.

"Please don't kill him! He's going to be a father soon! Please don't!" The guns appealed to him and Kensei shook his head.

"We're not going to kill him." He reassured the whatever-it-was in his hand. Although that wasn't necessarily a good thing, from the Espada's perspective. They needed information and they would do what they had to, to get it. "Who are you? And, please forgive me, what are you?" Kensei was really very curious about that. The guns sniffled a moment before responding.

"I'm Lilinette. I'm Starrk's zanpakuto." The female voice said and the Visored blinked. He was pretty sure this wasn't normal for an arrancar zanpakuto. "I'm his fraccion too… when we're not in release I have my own body. Please don't hurt him." She begged and Kensei hesitated. They would be hurting him, quite a lot, if the arrancar wasn't willing to speak. Although…

"What are those things? What are the towers for?" He asked the guns. If they would be willing to tell him, there would be no need to question the Espada. Although then they would be left with the question of what to do with him. There was a pause before the guns almost whispered.

"I can't say. Aizen would get mad and hurt Starrk again." The weapons sounded quietly terrified and Kensei nodded, unsurprised. "You're going to hurt Starrk, aren't you." Lilinette wasn't asking and he sighed.

"Yes, probably. I'm sorry." He said before standing and placing the guns in his belt. They said nothing in reply.

What was there to say?

* * *

Starrk woke up to blinding pain.

For a moment, he was confused. His mind registered the bindings on his body, the reiatsu limiter on his neck, and he flashed back to the days he'd spent being tortured by Aizen for his effrontery. A whimper crawled out of his throat as he squirmed, trying to find a way out of his bonds. He didn't want to be raped again. Not from the mate position…

But then he realized it wasn't the same. His arms were bound behind his back but he wasn't fixed in place, his body bound in an unnatural position. The chains on him were very strong, though, and infused with powerful reiatsu. Along with the limiter on his neck it seemed like overkill. Of course, the Visored probably didn't understand how deeply the limiter was cutting into his already severely overtaxed strength. Everything he had, which wasn't much, was going to healing his burns.

"Starrk!" A tiny smile crossed his lips at the tinny sound of his other half. Turning his head he saw her in her gun form. She was being kept under a dome of light that felt like a very powerful binding. The Coyote was only grateful that she was with him. That was a surprising thing for his enemies to do. "Are you okay?"

"I'm wonderful. I'll be dancing a jig any moment." He whispered and laughed softly, a hoarse chuckle as Lilinette made a frustrated sound.

"Now isn't the time for stupid jokes! We're in really big trouble Starrk!" She snapped and he closed his eye, thinking about the situation.

"I'm aware." He said, his voice rasping and tired. They were in a bad spot. The Coyote had no illusions about what the shinigami escapees would do to him. The only real question he had was if they would kill him when they were done. There was a chance they might not… Aizen was quite distracted at the moment and there was at least some chance he would simply promote Barragan rather than move on the Visored. And Lisa had demonstrated that they could cast Claims. His reiatsu was extremely powerful, but if they took him weakened and then maintained the Claim regularly, that wouldn't matter. Starrk swallowed, closing his eye tightly for a moment. If that happened, Juushiro and Shunsui would have to be Claimed by someone else. He worried about them both, but most of his concern was for Ukitake. Who would Aizen give the frail taichou to? How much did Aizen value him? If the answer was not much, he might die quickly with his disease…

There was a clank of metal and Starrk lifted his head. He hadn't really paid attention to his surroundings, but it seemed he was in some kind of prison cell. It was small and uncomfortable although someone had placed some cushions beneath his body. He blinked at the two women in the doorway. One of them he recognized as the woman the red creatures had been menacing. The other was also a woman but one he'd never met before. He met cool, thoughtful golden eyes and wondered what she was thinking. He only hoped it wasn't how best to torture him.

"Thank you for saving my little hornet." She said and the other woman blushed slightly, looking down. That puzzled Starrk slightly. Hornet seemed like an odd term of endearment, although he thought she meant it that way. "You are Coyote Starrk, correct?"

"Yes, but I prefer to be called Starrk." Most Espada preferred to use their first name but Starrk just didn't. Coyote didn't seem like much of a name to him. It was more of a description. "May I ask what your name is?" He asked, then swallowed, a touch painfully. "And perhaps some water?" He could definitely use that. The woman with her nodded and pulled out a water bottle, kneeling beside him and putting it to his lips. Starrk drank eagerly, unconcerned by the water that escaped and splashed on the remains of his clothing. It tasted delicious. "Thank you." His voice sounded better, too.

"I'm Shihoin Yoruichi and this is Soi Fon." She introduced herself, although the second name seemed rather peculiar to Starrk. Not the usual shinigami format of last name/first name. "Please, what are those towers for?" She asked and Starrk could only sigh.

"I don't know. Aizen didn't tell me." He lied. Although it was only a partial lie, Aizen hadn't told him, he'd learned on his own. Bright gold eyes fixed on him and Starrk had a bad feeling he was transparent as glass to this woman.

"But you must have thoughts about his orders." She said, all too accurately. Starrk dropped his gaze, unsure of what to say. "What are these red things that keep attacking us?" She asked and the Coyote bit his lip. He honestly wished he could talk to them. This was a threat to everyone… but he knew better. If Aizen found out he'd given up information freely, kami would skin him and use his hide for a throw rug. And that was not simply an expression.

"I cannot tell you." He said instead and Yoruichi sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Then Soi Fon spoke.

"I can do it for you, Yoruichi-sama." She said but her companion shook her head.

"No. I'll take care of it." She said firmly before kneeling beside him and reaching for him. Starrk hissed as her hand came down hard on half-healed burns. "Please, spare yourself some pain." She said and he smiled crookedly at her.

"Whatever you intend to do to me, Aizen can do as bad or worse." He said with absolute certainty. "I cannot tell you." He repeated before closing his eye. This was going to hurt. She sighed again and dug her thumb into his body. Starrk gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. He knew what this was. Pressure points… he was no expert on torture but he'd handled prisoners a time or two, and knowing how to inflict pain without causing damage was valuable.

By the time she was done he was sweating and almost incoherent. Lilinette was sniffling quietly when they finally left him alone, giving him some time to recover. The Espada quickly lapsed into an exhausted sleep.

He would be woken up again far too soon.


	25. Forgetting and Remembering

"Ichigo." Ichigo shivered at that voice in his ear, the hot weight against his back. The door was closed and locked this time. Grimmjow could molest him to his heart's content, with no worries about adventuresome offspring. "Shit, I love the way you feel." That heavy penis thrust teasingly against his ass, making him gasp. He'd already given and received oral pleasure, this was the second round.

"I want to see you." Ichigo said, looking over his shoulder and meeting bright blue eyes. The heat there… it made his breath come short. "Let me ride you." He said, his voice a seductive whisper. Grimmjow grinned widely before quickly switching their positions so he was on top, facing the arrancar. Ichigo smiled as he moved, catching Grimmjow's cock between his buttocks but not letting him go inside. The arrancar groaned in frustration, his fingers digging into his hips. Ichigo rested his palms on that sculpted chest, holding him down. "Calm down… I'm still not ready." He'd been the second one to be blown off, he needed a bit more time. Grimmjow nodded, relaxing a bit before letting go of his hips and gripping his cock. Ichigo huffed softly as a well-oiled hand pumped him, working on bringing his little friend back to life.

"You just make me so fucking hot." Grimmjow purred and Ichigo swallowed as he met lust filled blue eyes. "I can't get enough. I want to put my cock in your ass so bad." He growled and Ichigo swallowed a groan. That was incredibly hot.

"I want to feel it. I want to feel you inside my body." He breathed back and smiled as he saw white teeth flash in a wicked grin. Then big fingers were working on his opening, making him groan softly. He was hard as rock, now, from Grimmjow's attentions and the dirty talk. It wasn't long before he felt ready and he adjusted his position, gripping the Espada's cock and lowering himself onto it. "Shit!" The pleasant, familiar burn hit him and Ichigo gasped as Grimmjow gripped his hips, taking him with a quick, powerful rhythm. The burn quickly faded and was replaced with pleasure as that big cock filled him up, finding his prostate with effortless accuracy.

Ichigo rested his hands on Grimmjow's pace, not just letting the arrancar set the speed of their fucking. No, he was an active participant now. And it felt good, it felt right… Tossing his head back, Ichigo breathed deeply and tried to get his body under control. He was getting too close, too soon. He wanted this to keep going, wanted to feel that hard cock in his insides…

"Shit! You are so fucking hot like that." Grimmjow sounded like he was losing his mind and Ichigo looked down, meeting his eyes again. The look on his face… he couldn't get enough of the heat there, the lust in his face. Then a hard hand went around his erection again, pumping him and Ichigo moaned, withering at the combination of sensations. It was just so damned good…

It didn't last as long as he might have liked but it was good all the same. Grimmjow built him up, pushing him on and Ichigo finally erupted in his hands, covering the Espada's belly and chest with his juices. He gasped as Grimmjow found his moment of pleasure, thrusting urgently before going still inside him. He could feel the pulse of that hot member inside him, the spreading heat inside his anal cavity. It didn't feel bad anymore… it hadn't for a long time. No, this felt right.

"I love you Ichigo." That dark, seductive voice, the heat there, almost made his body stir again. Almost. But no one could react again so quickly and Ichigo smiled as he slowly pulled off the Espada, making him groan in disappointment.

"I love you too Grimm." He said before they kissed. It was deep and passionate, tongues tangling together. "But we need to get washed up." Grimmjow in particular was a mess. "No molesting me in the shower." Maybe Grimm could do it a third time but then they would both be staggering and utterly exhausted. The Espada grinned as he pushed himself up.

"What if I want to molest you in the shower?" He asked and Ichigo huffed softly before laughing. That was so like Grimmjow.

"Save it for tomorrow morning." He advised and Grimmjow nodded before yawning. They both went to the bathroom – thank god for the ensuite – and began to get clean. There was a bit of playful groping, but nothing more.

That would be for tomorrow.

* * *

"We've learned a bit from the Espada." Yoruichi reported as Urahara, Isshin and the Visored all listened. "Nothing about the towers – he takes Aizen's prohibition seriously – but information about our friends still in Soul Society. Some of it is grim." She warned them before looking at Isshin with a small smile. "But some of it isn't. Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu are all alive and well." She said and Isshin looked tremendously relieved.

"They are? I had hoped… but what have they done with Ichigo?" He asked, suddenly worried. Yoruichi sighed.

"That's the hard part. Apparently, Aizen is using something called the Hollow Claim to keep all of the taichou-class shinigami in line." Several of the Visored winced while the others were just confused and Yoruichi smiled grimly. "I see some of you know what I'm talking about. It works like this…" She gave a quick rundown of the Claiming process and Isshin quickly started to look both outraged and ill. "Ichigo is currently Claimed by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the Sexta Espada. Starrk is holding the Claims to Ukitake Juushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui. He pointed out to me that if we kill him, or lead to his death at Aizen's hands, it's very likely Ukitake will die. Many of the Espada are apparently quite hard on their toys." Yoruichi's voice was coolly amused. She recognized Starrk's ploy for what it was, although that didn't mean it was untrue.

"My son, this is all my fault. I will save you." Isshin pledged tearfully as Yoruichi sighed. Then she continued with the report.

"Grimmjow also has Abarai Renji. Yammy Llargo has claimed Kuchiki Byakuya. Barragan has Yumichika while Halibel actually has a Mating bond with Lisa." There was a stir of surprise at that. "Starrk thinks she surprised Halibel. If we manage to get through the senkaimon, we'll be able to get information from her and possibly turn the Tercero's power against Aizen. If we do that, though, we'd better win or we'll get them both killed." She cautioned and everyone nodded. "Ulquiorra has Claimed Orihime Inoue. Nnoitra has Claimed Kotetsu Isane. That's about all… although in Starrk's opinion, some of the relationships are verging on consensual."

"What?" Hiyori bristled as Urahara smiled slightly. He found the intense girl very amusing. "How dare that bastard! He thinks that just because it feels good, it's consensual? Fucking raping hollow!" She spat, her words full of dark hatred. Yoruichi shrugged.

"I brought that up to him but he said that Ichigo asked him if he was interested in Grimmjow and seemed rather concerned. So there might be feelings there." From the look on his face, Isshin couldn't believe it. "He did mention that some of the… relationships… are most definitely not consensual. Byakuya is apparently in very unpleasant circumstances and Isane is nearly as bad. The only reason Yumichika is doing better is because Barragan has a fraccion to play with." Apparently, there was gossip about that and everyone knew Barragan picked his fraccion partly for appearance. Although his tastes varied widely, accounting for the different types he had available.

"But he hasn't said anything about the towers?" Kisuke asked and Yoruichi shook her head. "We really need to know about that. It's very urgent." He was examining them, but they had been designed with tamper proofing in mind. They needed time so right now they were spoofing Aizen's communications and managing to keep them in the dark about Starrk's disappearance. They'd even taken over his duty to guard the towers, reasoning that they likely had something to do with the red things. But they could only keep it up so long. As soon as anyone checked on the Coyote their little tricks would come to light. And sooner or later, someone would have to come to give him some relief from his duties.

"I know. We're pushing him as hard as we can. He's still badly hurt and the torture isn't helping." She replied and Soi Fon nodded, looking down. Neither of them flinched much at torture – that was part of the Onmitsukido's job and they'd both led that organization – but they both knew Soi Fon owed the Espada her life. It didn't make any difference in what they had to do, but it did make things more painful. "Now, he was willing to tell me a bit about recent events in the Rukongai…" They listened as Yoruichi told them about all the things they had missed. No one really noticed as Hiyori slipped out of the room.

She had plans and a burning desire for revenge. She didn't want them to interfere.

* * *

Starrk looked up wearily from his place on the floor as the door to his cell opened.

"Another already?" He said groggily. It seemed like just a few minutes ago that Soi Fon had finished with him and left him there, exhausted, agonized and struggling not to cry. He wasn't sure who had made that electric whip but it was truly an ingenious instrument of torture. And when she'd applied it to his hollow hole, he'd wanted to die. That was a weak point, a good spot for both pleasurable and painful stimulation. All of the torture and lack of sleep was destroying his perception of time, so the Coyote didn't realize that it had actually been only a half-hour or so. The girl in front of him scowled blackly at him. "You seem very young." She seemed like hardly more than a child to him, with her hair in pigtails. Her eyes narrowed and Starrk felt a moment of alarm before a fist hit him in the stomach.

"Raping bastard." A foot hit him in the ribs and Starrk gasped as he felt something crack. He fought with the chains, trying to wiggle onto his stomach to shield himself a bit. But she gripped his ankle and yanked him back. How could she be so strong? But he was incredibly weak. The limiters were designed for his absurd level of power, so they were suppressing him ruthlessly. Even his hierro was largely absent and she brought that home as a fist hit in him the temple, snapping his head back and making stars flash in front of his eyes.

"Starrk! Stop it! Starrrrrk!" Lilinette cried for him and Starrk tried to reach for her, responding to her distress. Then a sandled foot came down on his side and he gasped as he heard something crack. The burning pain made him whimper softly. What was this…?

"Stinking arrancar!" The girl screamed at him as she continued beating him. More swearing followed, along with the hard blows, and Starrk vaguely realized that interrogation was not the point of this. This girl was consumed with hatred and she was venting it on his body. Was he going to die? It seemed quite possible, as he tasted the blood in his mouth and felt the growing disconnect between his mind and body. _Juushiro, Shunsui, I'm sorry._ What would happen to his little ones without him? Twins, a boy and a girl. He'd so wanted to see them…

As his consciousness ebbed, dark things seemed to chatter around the edges of his vision. They gathered like flocks of birds and Starrk whimpered as he began to see things he had never wanted to see again… things that hurt him more cruelly than any physical injury could. Anguish filled his fading mind as the memories of a short, painful life rolled over him. His life flashed before his eyes, but that was no mercy and he cried out as he experienced the suffering of _remembering._

But mercy came in the end and Starrk gratefully passed out.

* * *

"Are you certain about this?" Urahara asked as they walked towards the cells. They were currently based in the old Karakura town police station. It had everything they needed to keep a prisoner, although most of the furnishings had been stripped by looters or salvage teams. Most of Karakura town had been picked clean, though, so that was nothing unusual. The building itself was still sound and that was all that mattered.

"I need to know what they've done to my son." Isshin sounded anguished and Urahara sighed to himself. His old friend was taking the news about the Claim hard. But how could he not? "And my daughters… what if he's…?" Kisuke nodded morosely. From what little they knew, Grimmjow was a monster. Who knew what he had done with the girls?

"Starrrrrk!" That high cry caught both their attention and they exchanged a surprised glance. "Don't die! Starrk! Please, I can't live without you!" They quickly ran towards the prisoners' cell.

What they saw inside horrified them. Hiyori was stomping on the prone Espada, hissing curses. Starrk was limp, his single eye closed. There was dripping down the corners of his mouth, and more pools of it on the floor. His skin had a waxy pallor that made Kisuke's stomach clench. If they lost the Espada…

"Hiyori, get away from him!" Isshin grabbed her, yanking away from the motionless arrancar. Kisuke knelt and immediately began using kido, trying to save the man's life. He knew as soon as he touched him that it wouldn't be easy. There was so much damage to his internal organs, so much bleeding deep inside.

"Isshin, get her out of here and get Hachi." He managed to say before turning his full attention to the wounded man. He devoted himself completely to the healing kido, hardly noticing as Isshin dragged Hiyori out. He did notice when Hachi and Isshin came back. They both were skilled with healing kido and soon all three of them were struggling to keep the man alive.

"I think he's going to survive." Isshin finally said, sitting back on his heels. He looked exhausted. They all were… the Espada's body had actively cooperated, but it had done so by attempting to drain their reiatsu. They had all allowed it, a bit, knowing that it would help him recover. "But we should put him somewhere more comfortable. This is no place for a man in this condition." He said firmly and Hachi and Kisuke both nodded.

"The chains…" They began undoing them, tossing them aside. There was less than no chance that Starrk would try to escape. He might not be on the verge of death anymore, but he was still badly wounded. The arrancar whimpered even in his unconscious state as they lifted him. There were many broken bones, things that would heal only slowly.

"Hey! Don't leave me here! I need to come too!" Hachi took care of that, forming the seal over Lilinette into a ball. He carried the ball, guns inside, as Isshin and Kisuke carried the Espada. As they went to the living quarters they heard Shinji and Kensei both yelling at Hiyori, who was yelling right back. Ignoring that, they walked on past.

"My room…" Isshin said and Kisuke nodded. They didn't really have extra beds ready and if Isshin was willing to give up his, that was fine. As they put him on the bed Isshin's medical training took over and he found a pair of scissors, removing the charred remains of the arrancar's clothing. It had already been badly damaged in the explosion, it was hardly worth saving. Kisuke winced as he saw all the rapidly purpling marks on that lean, powerful body. There were obvious fist marks, the treads of Hiyori's sandals, marks on his throat where the Espada had been choked… "What in hell was she thinking." Isshin said under his breath and Kisuke managed a crooked smile.

"She wasn't thinking at all. Hiyori has always had quite a temper." He said lightly. Isshin muttered something unflattering as he continued his work. "Can I help?" He offered. He was no medical specialist like Isshin, although he was very proficient with healing kido. Isshin looked up with a frown.

"Yes, can you get me my medical supplies? They're in the closet." He said distractedly and Kisuke nodded, going to the closet and finding several boxes. That explained why Isshin had preferred to take Starrk to his room. Soon they were setting up an oxygen mask, which would help. Arrancar did need to breathe. They also set up a very special IV, one that imparted reishi rather than fluids. That would help as well, Starrk's body desperately wanted to heal him but the limiter was constantly blocking his ability to do so. Urahara briefly considered removing it before discarding the idea. Starrk was ravenous now and he would have absolutely no control, unconscious. Kisuke didn't know how he had devoured other hollows without even trying – if he had, he wouldn't even have considered it – but he was still cautious with the immensely power Espada.

"Is Starrk going to be okay?" He looked towards the tinny little voice. Hachi had placed Lilinette in a corner of the room, the golden glow still surrounding her. He managed a small smile for the zanpakuto.

"We think so. But it will be some time before he's well." Too much time. How much did they have before Aizen sent someone to check up on Starrk? Kisuke rubbed his face with one hand. There was no way Yoruichi and Soi Fon could interrogate the Espada while he was in this condition. They might very well kill him. But he might also wake up confused and vulnerable. Could they use that to their advantage? He would have to ask Yoruichi about that.

This sort of thing was her expertise.

* * *

When Starrk woke up, he thought he was somewhere else.

The bed he was in seemed familiar. It was a small bed, meant for only one person. Just like the one he'd had as a child, a young man, before… Starrk desperately tried to shut down that line of thought, closing his eyes. The pain of it was nearly unbearable.

"Starrk? Are you okay?" The worried voice was all too familiar. Starrk took a deep breath and felt like he was choking. His chest heaved as he struggled to breath, feeling a familiar tightness in his chest. He coughed and expected to see blood, but there was nothing. "…Isshin! Funny hat! Big guy! Someone, help!" She called and he shook his head rapidly.

"There's… nothing to be done… Lily…" He rasped out before blinking. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't Lily anymore, she was Lilinette. "Oh god." But there was no god. They had decided that together. He closed his eye tightly, not wanting to remember. His hollow existence seemed strangely innocent and pure. Why had his memories been returned to him this way? Reaching up a hand he tugged the mask away from his face. It felt tight, confining. The air outside of it was not as rich but he didn't care. Starrk gripped his hair with one hand and suddenly screamed.

The door opened and someone rushed in, but he didn't care. He felt like he was being smothered and a sudden fear gripped him, the fear of being caged… ignoring the agonizing pain of his body he tried to get up, get away. He staggered and nearly fell but then warm arms were going around him. They were strong in a familiar way.

"Shunsui?" He said, dazed, before looking at the shinigami holding him. "Oh. No." This was… he didn't know who this was. But it wasn't Shunsui.

"Please, you need to go back to bed." The man said soothingly but the Coyote wasn't having any of it. He desperately needed something and the answer came to him as he struggled to break free. He knew what he needed.

"No, the sky. I need… to see…" He rasped out, trying to take a step forward. His legs almost gave out and the shinigami had to catch him. "Hnh." Starrk grunted, fighting off the black specks that floated over his vision. He needed to see the sky. He needed to reassure himself that it was there for him to see. It was irrational but suddenly he needed to know that the sky was still there. That only served to confuse the man holding him.

"The sky will be there tomorrow." He said in a gentle voice as he pulled the Espada back towards the bed. Starrk whined deep in his throat, sounding more like an animal in pain than any human should.

"But will it… be there… for me to see…?" He asked as his whole body trembled. He had no strength left to resist with as the shinigami put him back to bed. The mask went over his face and Starrk realized it was new. This was like nothing he'd experienced before and that brought him back to reality just a bit. Enough to let him relax. Then he tensed and whimpered again as he remembered. "I forgot what it looked like." He'd forgotten the sky. Until he died, and finally got to see it again. So strange, that death had made him free…

There was a pinch on his arm, a tiny pain, and Starrk lost consciousness a second time. Again, he was grateful for the reprieve.

* * *

"Something's really wrong with Starrk." The guns sounded scared and Isshin frowned as he looked over his patient. The wounds were healing well, for the little time he'd had. But the way he'd acted had been odd, to say the least. Why had he wanted to see the sky so badly? "…It's sort of familiar. It scares me." That was almost a whisper and Isshin looked at the guns, surprised.

"What do you mean? What is familiar?" He asked and there was a pause as the guns thought about it.

"Not… sure… I don't like it. I really don't like it. Starrk's hurting bad." She did sound frightened but that wasn't too useful. Isshin sighed to himself then stiffened as something occurred to him. Really, he should have thought of this days ago but he'd been a bit distracted.

"Lilinette, you know everything Starrk knows, don't you?" He asked and smiled as the guns protested.

"Oi! No trying to get stuff about the tower out of me! I told you, I can't!" She said and Isshin waved it away.

"I'm not interested in that. Lilinette, can you tell me about my son and my daughters? Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. Have you met them?" He asked, prepared to find that the zanpakuto knew nothing. But Lilinette immediately replied.

"Oh, yeah! I know them. I played with them in the pool!" She chirped, to Isshin's relief. "They were great! You want to know about them?"

"Yes, please. Tell me everything." He said and listened intently as Lilinette told him about the pool party. Although part of it was horrifying to his parental instincts. "The Espada let my little girl have saki?!"

"Not exactly… she just picked it up and drank it. It was Shunsui's I think." Isshin's eyes narrowed and he made a mental note to seek out Kyoraku and give him a tongue lashing for leaving his saki where little girls could reach it. "Ichigo told her to stop and she said no way, you're not my dad. So then Grimm grabbed it and said it was too strong so she could have wine or beer instead." That almost made his eyes bug out.

"Wine or beer?! My darling daughters, that monster is corrupting you!" Isshin said, distraught. But behind the histrionics was a great deal of relief. From the way Lilinette was describing them, his girls were doing as well as could be expected. "Do you know if they're going to school?" He asked, prepared to hear that they were not. Isshin knew how Soul Society worked and knew that the only girl's academies had fairly steep tuition fees. But then Lilinette surprised him.

"Yeah, Grimmjow went to Tosen for funds so they're going to the Shino Academy, I think it was?" She said. It wasn't a name he'd ever heard, but Isshin had never had any reason to get to know girls' academies before this. "Karin's Grimmjow's fraccion now, so she won't get Claimed when she goes to the Shinigami academy. He likes them, I can tell. He likes Ichigo best though." Isshin grit his teeth, trying not to let Lilinette see his rage. A bit of it must have come through, though, because the guns spoke very softly. "Are you mad at Grimm?"

"He's been raping my son for years. I'm only grateful that it seems he hasn't raped my daughters. Of course I'm angry." He said shortly and the guns went silent for a moment before speaking again.

"He's just a hollow you know. He can't help it." She sounded a little sad and Isshin stared at the weapons. "Starrk thinks I don't get it, but he's wrong. I know I don't understand things, like why I shouldn't nip people to death or why I shouldn't tie frogs in knots and stuff. I know I'm not right, and Grimm isn't either. He's trying though, he really is. Please don't kill him, you might make Ichigo sad. I know you'll make Starrk sad…" The weapons sounded forlorn, lost. Isshin took a deep breath before reaching out to gently pat the golden globe surrounding them.

"I won't kill him without speaking to Ichigo first." As tempting as it was to just run the Espada through, maybe he did deserve a bit more consideration. But only a bit.

He would see what Ichigo had to say before he killed the bastard.


	26. The Wandering Coyote

"Oi! Who let the brat play?" Grimmjow demanded, glowering at the game board. This game depended a lot on chance, but there was some strategy involved. And he was getting boxed in by his own son. Tigre grinned widely from his chair. He was sitting on a cushion to make things a bit easier for him.

"I think that was you. Can you build or not?" Ichigo asked and he growled before passing on the dice. He couldn't build, he couldn't do anything to save himself from his fate.

The game progressed and Grimmjow was soundly defeated. Fortunately, he always had beer to cheer him up. Although he still wondered if he'd ever win a board game. It seemed like his luck was really bad with these kinds of games. Hadn't he been awful at dicing when he was alive? He seemed to recall his wife telling him she'd rip his balls off if he ever lost another copper in the tavern… It had been a bit unfair. It wasn't like he'd been dicing with the food money…

"Grimm?" He blinked, recalled to reality by Ichigo's voice. "Are you ready?" They were going out to watch one of Karin's games. She was getting good at baseball and had plenty of friends on the team, it was definitely worth going.

"Oh yeah, sure." He glanced himself over before nodding. He wasn't in his Espada uniform. Grimmjow liked his uniform but he'd decided it was time to branch out and today he was wearing blue jeans and a white dress shirt, worn messily and untucked. The jeans were tight and displayed his ass nicely. That made him grin because he was pretty sure Ichigo had noticed. He'd caught the suspicious blush on those cheeks. "Let's go."

They took Tigre and Yuzu with them, but didn't bother with sonido or shunpo. This was just a leisurely stroll on a beautiful autumn day. Grimmjow savored the crisp air, the bite in the breeze. Snow would be coming soon and that suited him just fine. He loved the snow, he had many fond memories of playing in it with his kids. He'd done that with Tigre last year and he would do it again with him soon. Sledding, winter hunts, snowball fights…

Shaking away those idle musing, Grimmjow took a seat on the bleachers. The strangers around him took one look and gave him lots of room. Sure, his shirt covered his hollow hole, but his blue hair and mask fragment were pretty damned obvious. Not to mention the sword he had shoved into his belt. He was damned if he'd leave Pantera at home, even if this was supposed to be a peaceful day. And Ichigo had Zangetsu, for that matter. Shinigami just didn't leave their zanpakuto lying around, they were half of their soul.

The game itself was kind of interesting. Grimmjow appreciated the spirited competition and grinned as Karin hit a home run. She was good, that girl, fast and athletic. He felt a bit of pride in himself for offering to make her a fraccion. Sure, she didn't know much right now and wasn't willing to listen to him, but the instructors at the Shinigami academy would straighten her out. Then she'd be a useful member of the pack.

Grimmjow suddenly frowned, though, as he spotted something odd at the edge of the practice field. An arrancar, and he was scanning the field as though he was looking for something. Just a Numero but… something was off. Grimmjow stiffened and stood, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword as instincts screamed a warning. The arrancar suddenly seemed to realize he was there and looked at him.

"Grimm? What is it?" Ichigo asked and Grimmjow scowled as the arrancar vanished in a burst of sonido. That wasn't quite right, either. It had been just a bit jerky, strange.

"I'm not sure. Stay here and look after the kid and girls." He said before vanishing in his own burst of sonido. He wanted to catch this guy, ask him what he was doing hanging around a girl's school. There was really no reason at all for him to be here. Grimmjow wasn't dumb enough to think that it never happened, but hollows did not tolerate the rape of children. Of course, attitudes on what constituted a child varied. It was easier in Hueco Mundo, since power matured in a way that couldn't be mistaken. Plus souls and shinigami varied widely, if you just looked at appearance. And a lot of hollows came from times and cultures where the age of majority was a damned sight lower than it was now.

Still, the fact that this was a girl's academy should have been a fucking clue. Grimmjow scowled as he searched for the Numero, a scowl that deepened as he couldn't find him. Where had the bastard gotten to? No mere Numero should be able to hide from an Espada. Yet, the jackass was definitely gone. He finally gave up and went back to the practice field, frowning heavily. When he got to the field he hesitated a moment before going back to Ichigo. This was damned nebulous, but he remembered how Starrk hadn't reported his 'stalker' for weeks because that had been nebulous, too.

"Yo. I'm going to go talk to Tosen or something, because that was fucking weird." He said abruptly and Ichigo's brown eyes darkened with worry. Tigre was ignoring them both, cheering Karin on. Yuzu gave him a concerned look too. Renji was out on a date, which was actually a shame. Grimmjow would have liked him to be here for backup but he wasn't going to call the redhead, dates were hard to find for a Claimed taichou. "If shit goes down just… um… panic or something." He said and Ichigo blinked before laughing. "Hey, I just mean… oh shit, you know what I mean!" If a strong emotion came down the Claim he'd know there was a problem. If Ichigo was cool about it, he might not know what was going on. His lover smiled at him, brown eyes warm with amusement.

"I know what you mean. Don't worry, if something threatens us you'll know." Ichigo assured him and Grimmjow smiled back before vanishing in a burst of sonido.

Tosen might tell him to go away with a boot up his ass, but with all the weird shit going down he wasn't taking chances.

* * *

When Starrk woke up a second time, his mind was clearer.

Ignoring the memories that required some kind of attention – he would deal with that shit later, to quote Grimmjow – the Primera Espada pushed himself up on his elbows. He winced as he felt a prick and glanced down to see there was an IV in his arm. He knew of such things, from recent experiences. Hissing to himself he reached down and undid the tape before pulling it away. To his surprise, he found it had been feeding him reishi, not any kind of physical nourishment.

"Someone knows how to care of a hollow." He muttered as he tried to sit up and groaned. "Ah… my god…" Somehow, knowing that Aizen was the Soul King made that better. That was the kind of god Starrk could believe in… uncaring and capricious. Expecting mercy or fairness from such a being was laughable. "Lilinette… ah." He smiled to himself as he heard the cute little snores from his weapons. Flinching at the pain, he slowly slid out of bed and got to his feet. Then he quietly left the room.

The reiatsu limiter had one great advantage. His presence was nearly undetectable, instead of the incredibly powerful weight it usually was. The pain, though, was excruciating. But he was used to pain, mostly from his life as a hollow. The pain he'd suffered as a Living man had been emotional, but verging on a form of torture, particularly towards the end. Quickly pushing aside that thought, Starrk made his way to the roof. He was panting and covered in sweat before he finally pushed open a heavy door. It said 'emergency exit' on the top, but Starrk was in no condition to care about that. He needed to see the sky.

"Ah." It was daylight. The Coyote staggered forward, gripping the crumbling brickwork with trembling hands. "Beautiful." It was a gorgeous day. There were only a few fluffy clouds in the sky and the sun shone down, warming his skin. It needed warming, there was a blustery wind. Shivering slightly, he looked down at the ground. There were plants growing through the untended, emptied homes and businesses. Maybe someday this place would all return to the forest. That thought appealed to Starrk. Right now it was barren and lifeless but perhaps, someday, that would change. He completely missed the clicking sound as the door swung shut behind him.

After a suitable length of time just enjoying his 'freedom', though, he felt a desire to go back indoors. Without his hierro the wind was genuinely cold and the sun could only do so much. Also, he wasn't wearing much. Just his Espada pants, which were looking much the worse for wear. Going back to the door, he opened it.

Or rather, he tried to. It didn't budge. A bit of jiggling and playing with the door led him to a very disagreeable conclusion.

"It locked behind me." Starrk said out loud, glancing around. "Um…" He couldn't fly with the retaining collar on his neck. In fact, he had no reiatsu to speak of. "…At least I'm safe?" The red things seemed to be attracted to high reiatsu individuals. They wouldn't sense him at all right now. Then he shivered and sneezed. "Ugh." This was going to get very unpleasant. Shuffling around, he tried to find a good place to hide from the wind. Climbing down the outside of the building was out of the question. He would fall and injure himself further. Finding the side of the building that gave him at least a little shelter from the wind, Starrk gingerly eased himself down and prepared to wait.

There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

"Starrk hasn't run away! He'd never leave me, I'm half of him and you're all idiots!" The guns in the globe shrilled. Hachi was holding them, flinching a little at the tone. "If it weren't for that stupid limiter you have on him, I could find him for you!"

"Alright, alright, we're idiots. But we've searched the whole place and we can't find him." Kisuke said, trying to pacify the irate zanpakuto. "We've even searched the roof, twice." Isshin had mentioned Starrk's odd obsession with the sky. However, what they hadn't realized was that the police station connected to an adjoining building that also had a roof. Starrk had managed to find it. Lilinette made a frustrated sound.

"Why didn't you put a tracker in the limiter? Oh, I don't know! Maybe take me around so I can yell for him?" She suggested and Kisuke sighed before laughing. This was really quite absurd. A badly injured man, wearing a reiatsu limiter, was managing to evade not just one but two former heads of the Onmitsukido. Not to mention half of the Visored as well as himself and Isshin. It really was quite funny.

"I suppose it's the best idea we have." Isshin said with a groan. He looked like he had a massive headache. "Why don't we start on the roof again?"

"Starrrk! Where are you? Starrk!" Lilinette shrilled when they reached the roof, making everyone wince. It was only the three of them, though. Hachi, Kisuke and Isshin. The rest of the Visored as well as Soi Fon and Yoruichi were still combing through the place, trying to think of anything they could have missed.

"Lilinette?" They all froze at that soft, far away voice. Isshin and Kisuke exchanged surprised looks as Hachi lifted the globe a bit higher.

"STARRRK! Where are you? Yell louder!" She commanded and there was a faint cough before the voice strengthened.

"Here! I'm up here!" They both looked to the side, to the slightly raised area that was part of the roof. They hadn't searched it because it wasn't technically part of the police station. But Starrk was there, wobbling on his feet as he gripped the edge of the brickwork. "Help, I'm locked up here." He said and Kisuke laughed again.

"Locked up there? Oh, this is amazing! Don't worry, we'll come get you." He assured the Espada and Starrk waited patiently as they flew up for him.

"You look very cold." Isshin said immediately, taking in the Coyote's appearance. His lips were turning blue and he was shivering, his arms tight around his naked chest. He was also hunched over and looking quite miserable, with dark circles under his eyes. "Here, put this on." Isshin shrugged out of his shirt, putting it over the Espada's shoulders. He accepted the fabric gratefully. "How did you get up here?" He asked, looking at the door. Starrk looked a touch puzzled.

"I… don't really know. I wasn't thinking of anything except up. I think there was a lot of sideways though." He admitted and winced as Lilinette blew a raspberry at him.

"Oi, you scared everyone! If you're gonna try to escape at least do it right. And take me with you! You're hopeless!" She said and Starrk laughed softly, reaching out to touch the golden globe. Hachi let him as he spoke into his cell phone, letting the others know the wandering Coyote had been found.

"You must be in pain… come, let's get you back to bed." Isshin said, his doctor's instincts coming to the fore. None of this was good for Starrk. Although… "Can arrancar get sick?" He asked as he got the Espada to ride him piggy-back. It was the easiest way to get him down onto the main roof. Starrk sounded slightly surprised at the question.

"Yes, but only if they're injured and badly drained of reiatsu." He said it with complete unconcern and Isshin groaned silently. That described Starrk perfectly and he didn't seem to realize it. However, Lilinette did.

"You idiot! He's right, you're going to get sick! You went and got yourself cold on top of everything else! Why are you so stupid sometimes?!" She demanded and Starrk blinked, looking over Isshin's shoulder at his zanpakuto.

"Oh. You're right, I hadn't thought of that. I haven't been sick since I died." There was a quiet grief in his voice, so poignant that Isshin looked over his shoulder at the Espada. But his gaze was turned inward, far away.

"Starrk? Are you remembering? You shouldn't be remembering, that's the point!" Lilinette sounded afraid and Kisuke and Isshin exchanged a glance before he set the Coyote onto his feet. He had to help him, though, as he wavered on his feet. He put the arrancar's arm over his shoulders, helping him move.

"The point? Do you remember something, Lily?" He asked softly and the guns sniffled for a moment before flaring up at him.

"Don't call me that! She's dead! She's dead and she killed you! So stop it!" She yelled and the shinigami exchanged mystified and unsettled looks. Starrk sighed, just shaking his head.

"That isn't what happened, Lilinette. You know that hollows aren't responsible for the things they do." He said gently and the guns sniffled again. "Did you always remember? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked as they walked back to Isshin's rooms. There was a pause before the guns responded.

"Yeah, I remembered. But you needed to forget Starrk. I wanted to be strong and you wanted to forget. We both got what we wanted but then we were alone… I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's all my fault it turned out this way."

"You know, this is a fascinating discussion! Do you think you'll explain it to us?" Kisuke asked cheerfully but Isshin knew he was intensely curious. It was his nature. Starrk chuckled softly, leaning heavily on Isshin for support.

"I can if you want. But it's not a happy story. Perhaps after I take a nap." He said drowsily as Isshin eased him back into his bed. "I'm very tired. I couldn't sleep at all on the roof and I was up there for so long…"

"By all means, you should sleep." Isshin said as he checked the Espada's vital signs, frowning over the obvious signs of strain. He snuggled into the blankets with a sigh and Isshin made a quick decision. "Kisuke, do we have anymore blankets?" He tended to get hot at night so the ones on the bed were a little sparse. Urahara nodded.

"I have a comforter we can put on him, it's meant for winter and very warm." He said and they fetched that. Soon, Starrk was comfortably ensconced in a warm cocoon. Kisuke had a great deal of fun telling the others how the Espada had managed to reach an adjoining building and lock himself onto the roof.

Really, it was quite amusing.

* * *

Starrk woke up the next day feeling quite a bit better.

"I don't think I'm getting sick." He murmured drowsily, although it was too soon to be sure. "This is wonderful." It really was. He was warm, in a bed with plenty of blankets and a quilted comforter. He just wanted to dig into his plush nest and sleep until all the pain went away.

For a while, that was exactly what he did. The Coyote lapsed into a doze that was nothing like the sleep he'd engaged in before he remembered. His dreams were bright and alive, full of colors and odd things. He was trying to steal a golden fruit from a tree with purple leaves when the door opened, rousing him from his slumber.

"Oh, good morning." He said sleepily to Kisuke and Isshin. They were the only ones in the room, which wasn't a surprise. It wasn't a very large room and all the Visored certainly wouldn't fit. Then a cat jumped onto his bed and Starrk blinked at it before smiling. "Oh, hello neko. Here to keep me company?" He reached out and began to gently scratch her ears. Although… "Are you a boy neko or a girl neko?" He asked before quickly lifting a tail. Starrk completely missed Kisuke's smile and Isshin's chuckle, or the way the cats yellow eyes blinked at the treatment. "A girl. What's your name?" He asked dreamily and then blinked in surprise and a bit of shock as a male voice answered.

"Yoruichi. And I admit, that's the first time I've been sexed." Starrk let go of the cat like she was red hot. The two men in the room chuckled. "Now, weren't you going to tell us something interesting?"

"Um? Oh, that. It won't do you any good." He warned them but the cat just sat beside him attentively. "It's just a rather sad story… mmm." Starrk closed his one eye, sighing softly as he thought about where to begin. "Long ago and far away, a little boy was born to a moderately wealthy family." He opened his eye, remembering the past. "They weren't fabulously wealthy, but they had a manor house and servants. They were the very lowest rung of nobility and their riches were built on trade."

"I was the oldest child and there were many expectations." Starrk said quietly, looking down at the blanket. It hurt to remember this. "My father was a hard man, a sharp trader and very… down to earth. I was an artistic child and I preferred to read fantastical stories or spend time in the woods. He wanted me to learn the merchant trade, mathematics and how to bargain sharply." He honestly didn't understand how Grimmjow could enjoy working on budgets. But then, Grimmjow wasn't much of a reader. "It wasn't me. Perhaps, though, we could have gotten past that… I eventually had three siblings, including a little brother. He took more after father. Perhaps father could have faced that I wasn't what he needed, and finally give me an apprenticeship with an artist. But there was something else wrong…"

"I could see ghosts, all my life." Starrk said softly, pained at the memories. "I think my mother could too. She denied it, was hateful towards me if I brought it up, but I saw her eyes sometimes, following them. I think, looking back it, that I was like your son… I had vast reiryoku." He said to Isshin, who frowned and nodded. "He has no idea how lucky he is, to have a family that understands… it wasn't too bad when I was a child but when I began reaching puberty the hollows flocked to me. I learned to drive them off, although I could never figure out how to kill them. But if I hurt them enough, crushed them down with the weight of my power, they would leave me alone. Although not before they caused damage." Starrk said softly, gazing away sadly. "I felt brave and strong, driving the monsters away and keeping them from my family. Too many times, though, there were unexplained damages to the manor. No one believed my stories of monsters… father thought it was me. I was beaten many times, for damaging things." Starrk tried not to remember that. The beatings in question had involved a horse whip. "Then one of them went after my sister. I managed to save her from it, but she was badly hurt. I tried to explain about the monster and for the first time, they seemed to believe me… I was so naïve. But then, I was only fifteen."

"I had supper that night as usual, but it was drugged. I woke up the next day in a wagon with barred windows, meant for the insane. They were taking me to a sanitarium." He said emotionlessly. It so hurt to remember, he could only speak if he ruthlessly suppressed the pain. "They treated me like I was a criminal… they locked me into a small room with a cot. The only thing I had was a barred window that I could look through and see the courtyard. I asked for art supplies but the nuns would never give me any… I drew in the dust on the floor, for a while. But then I stopped. Drawing was no consolation to me."

"The only ones who came to see me were the ghosts. They were still attracted to my reiatsu, although the hollows didn't seem to find me as easily. The ghosts wanted my help but as soon as they saw my circumstances, they left. I was of no use to them…" Starrk paused, glancing around. "Is there any water? Thank you." He took a water bottle from Kisuke with a nod, drinking deeply. That eased his throat enough to continue. "The only one who stayed was little Lily. She told me her story… she'd been abused by her step-father from a young age. She told her mother and the priest, but they said she was just a bad girl, lying about such a wonderful man. When she was perhaps ten years old, she murdered him in his sleep, cutting his throat. They brought her to the sanitarium as well, but she didn't stay for long. She hung herself on the bars of her cell." Starrk looked at the guns, which were sniffling softly. "I'm sorry Lilinette."

"It's okay. I always knew… keep going." She said bravely and he nodded before picking up the story again.

"She asked me, one time, why I didn't do the same. Then I could leave my room. I laughed and told her I was too tall, my feet would still touch the floor." Starrk said almost dreamily and smiled sadly as he saw Kisuke swallow hard at that. "How hopeless we were… but I felt better when Lily was there. She was so brave and strong."

"Huh? I wasn't strong! You were strong, Starrk!" The guns protested and he blinked. "You smiled at me! You drew for me in the dust, you even tried to teach me to read! You laughed! You were way stronger than me, I just killed myself right away! You made me feel stronger just being around you! You were the brave one, Starrk!" She said and that made him smile, touched.

"We made each other strong then. Being with you always made me feel so much better." He said. "When we had each other, we weren't alone. Mmm… but eventually, I caught a disease. It was the same kind that Ukitake has, it made me cough up blood. The nuns moved me to a room without a window. I was there for several years before I succumbed to the disease. I'm not sure how old I was, but Lily said I had been there around six years." They had been the longest years of his short life. "Then we were ghosts together."

"It's strange, how freeing death was for me. I could finally see the sky again." Starrk said with a small smile. "That was a good time… I remember praying one time, that we would finally go to heaven. Lily asked me why I would believe in that. After all the things that had happened to us, how could there be a god? I decided she was right. There was no god, no heaven, only the existence we had now."

"After I was dead, of course, I became the business of shinigami." Starrk's tone was dry, yet amused. "If they had shown as much interest when I was alive… hmph. The first shinigami who tried to give us konso was an idiot." Starrk smiled as he remembered it. "He spun a story about how wonderful Soul Society was, how we wouldn't be hungry or want for anything. We just laughed. Lily told him that if god existed he was cruel, and heaven would just be another hell. We would stay here, where we were finally happy and free. He told us we had no choice and tried to force us… that was a huge mistake. I crushed him to his knees with the strength of my power, just like a hollow. I left him gasping there and asked him how he planned to make us go. Then he tried to appeal to us… he told us we would become monsters and kill many people. I asked why I should care about that. The only people here were the nuns, who I hated, or those like me, who would probably welcome death. And if I became a monster, perhaps I could finally forget. He told me I was selfish and irresponsible… I told him that with everything that had happened to me, was I not entitled to a bit of selfishness? Then he left."

"He wasn't the last, of course. Many more shinigami tried to show us the way. Not because of Lily… she hadn't even seen one before I died… but because of me. They feared my power. And rightly so… Lily had been a ghost much longer than me. Eventually, her chain of fate decayed and I got to see what they had been talking about. She became a hollow and attacked me. At first, I kept her from me, but then I thought… why?" Starrk glanced at his guns. "I loved her, my Lily. So I let her eat me. I opened my arms to her and let her take what she needed." The guns were sniffling again. "Don't feel bad about it Lilinette. I could have stopped you. I chose not to."

"Have you wondered what happens when a hollow eats someone with vast reiatsu? I imagine it doesn't happen often." Starrk said and the shinigami shook their heads. "The hollow jumps the evolutionary scale. We were uplifted… we skipped Gillian entirely, landed somewhere in the middle of adjuchas, because that was my strength. Only my strength was even more than that… we advanced so quickly, in the sands. One hollow tried to Claim me but he was a fool. He should have killed me when he had the chance. My power worked through the Claim and devoured him, utterly destroying him. We became so strong, but my reiryoku was too much. Combined with hollow hunger, it devoured everything that tried to approach us. And we were alone again, but as one person. It was so painful… so we separated. We became Starrk and Lilinette again. And then we at least had each other." Starrk smiled at his weapons. "I love you, Lily." He'd loved her in life and death. That feeling had never changed.

"I love you too Starrk." The guns said softly and Starrk wished, for a moment, that they weren't trapped in their released form. He wanted to hold her in his arms, hug her and feel her body against him… but then he turned his attention to the cat on his bed as she cleared her throat.

"Well, that was very sad. It does explain a lot, though. But Starrk, please, we need your help." She said and he sighed to himself. The towers. It always came back to the towers and the Red Queen. "Kisuke has been examining the towers. They seem to be doing something to the fabric of reality in Karakura town. This must have something to do with the red things. What are they Starrk? What is happening?" She asked, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. "Are you really so loyal to Aizen that you would trust him with this?"

"I am not loyal to Aizen at all." Starrk said tiredly. "He's the kind of god I can believe in, a cruel, evil god." That made the shinigami in the room wince a little. "I only fear what he would do to me, and what would happen to my pets and my coming children. I'm not even supposed to know these things. I found them out myself." Aizen would be furious at him, for taking matters into his own hands. He was supposed to be a lazy Coyote, not a clever, less than loyal thing like Barragan. "However… I worry… about what is happening." Starrk closed his eye for a moment, settling his head back as he thought. Aizen was trying to shore up the fabric of reality in the Living world. He was handling Soul Society personally. Who was taking Hueco Mundo? There had to be someone and Starrk wondered if it was the vasto lorde. There had been more than just himself, Halibel and Barragan.

"Please Starrk." A hand touched his and Starrk lifted his head, opening his eye to look into Isshin's face. The man was looking at him with deep concern, a worry that seemed very sincere. "How can your family be safe if something is affecting the laws of reality? Can you trust Aizen to protect them?" That resonated with him and Starrk bit his lip. He didn't trust Aizen, that was why he'd learned the truth in the first place.

"I… don't know… please, let me rest." He said, knowing he was weakening. They were right. And hadn't he resisted them long enough? How long had it been? "I need to think…" He couldn't make the decision when he was feeling so tired, so drained. Isshin frowned and nodded slowly. It was Yoruichi who spoke.

"We'll leave you now, but please, think about what we've said." She said and he nodded tiredly. After they left, Starrk tried to sleep, but it was hard.

He had a lot to think about.


	27. Poor Little Girl

_I'm going to kill him_. Ichigo grit his teeth as he gripped the armrests of his chair. _You are dead, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez._

They were at a play. It was a traditional kabuki theatre, which had interested Grimmjow. Apparently plays and pantomimes had been rather popular in his village, although very amateurish and usually put on by the villagers themselves. Once in a while a travelling carnival came through but that was a rare event. So he'd claimed he would enjoy Japanese theatre.

Ichigo was wondering now if that was an out and out lie. Grimmjow had gotten them seats that weren't very great, off to the side and against the wall. He had the seat against the wall and there was someone to Grimmjow's right, but no one to Ichigo's left. Something he was sure the Espada had planned on, the black hearted bastard.

Ichigo's breathing quickened as the hand in his pants slowly jerked him off. He was carefully repressing any sounds and hoping to kami that the people behind them and in front didn't notice what Grimmjow was doing to him. The fact that it was so incredibly arousing didn't help in the least. Had the Espada turned him into a pervert, or had he always been one? He supposed he would never know. Ichigo bit his lip sharply as a heavy thumb went over his head, teasing the oversensitive flesh. He was going to make Grimmjow _suffer_ for this!

"!" Ichigo huffed soundlessly as Grimmjow deftly continued tormenting him. He was getting close, he couldn't help it. This had been going on for a while… fortunately Grimmjow had some tissues wrapped around his dick. Ichigo jerked in his chair as the end came, the pleasure wracking his body as he shot his cum into those waiting tissues. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily as he sat back, feeling almost boneless. He felt that hand slipping out of his pants, taking the soiled Kleenex with it. Then he opened his eyes just a bit, giving Grimmjow a slit eyed glare. The Espada was gazing forward at the play as if he hadn't even done anything!

_Make him pay King!_ His hollow sounded delighted. Ichigo considered how to get back at him and smiled to himself. He was pretty sure Grimmjow would have extra tissue, just in case. He carefully reached over, sliding his hand into the Espada's pocket. Grimmjow stiffened a little but didn't otherwise react. _Paydirt._ There were more tissues in his pocket. He stole them without any hesitation, using them to cover his hand before he worked his way into Grimmjow's hakama.

Ichigo watched the Espada with a wicked smile as he reacted silently to the stimulation. The way his face twisted into a silent growl, the way he tightly closed his eyes… Ichigo suddenly understood why Grimm had always liked his expression so much, when he was struggling not to make sounds. It was sexy as hell, he had to admit it.

Ichigo kept working that hard length, enjoying the feel of the velvety skin against his palm. His unwilling partner lowered his head, making a soft, almost inaudible whine. He couldn't reach the Espada's balls but he knew what Grimm liked and gave it to him, fisting that throbbing erection. Grimmjow's hands were tight on the armrests now and Ichigo smiled evilly before thumbing him, just like the arrancar had done to him. Grimmjow jerked in reaction, breathing heavily as he fought with himself, trying to hide his reactions.

Ichigo felt it was that cock in his hand pulsed, then suddenly erupted, coating his hand and filling the tissues with cum. He wasn't sure he'd gotten all of it and in fact, he was sure he hadn't. But at least Grimmjow's hakama wouldn't be too soiled. Pulling his hand out, he frowned. What was he supposed to do with this?

There was a low chuckle and Ichigo blinked as a plastic bag was passed over. Blushing, he realized that the tissues Grimm had used on him were inside it. He quickly opened it and added the second mess before closing the baggie and passing it over. Grimmjow accepted it and put it in his pocket before leaning back and watching the theatre, unconcerned. Ichigo smiled to himself as he admired the Espada's profile. He couldn't see the mask fragments from this angle and for a moment, he could almost imagine that they were back in the Living World, going on a date.

_Yeah, that would be a really weird date._ His hollow commented and Ichigo had to agree. This would be an incredibly messed up date. Eyeing the Espada thoughtfully, he smiled as he made a promise to himself.

He was going to fuck Grimmjow tonight. He wasn't sure how, but he would make it happen.

* * *

"What do you think, Lilinette?" Starrk asked his other half, keeping his voice quiet. No one knew they were awake. Strangely, with his remembering he'd lost the need for so much sleep. Had sleeping an extra four hours every night been the mechanism that kept the memories away? He suspected that the answer was yes.

"I don't know Starrk." She said worriedly and he sighed, feeling torn. "…Maybe they could help us figure out why." She whispered and he nodded.

"Yes, we need to know why." That was one thing they'd had no luck at all with. None of them were scientifically inclined. Now that he was aware of the nature of the problem, Starrk could observe the weak points and even use his power to 'fix' them, although it was a temporary fix. It required so much power, though, that he didn't do it much. But that told him nothing about why the breaches were occurring. "…I think we should." Starrk quailed at the thought of what Aizen would do if he discovered this. Not that he'd given up information under torture – Aizen would understand that no one could hold out forever – but that he'd had so much information to give. "I – " He stopped talking as the door clicked. Isshin walked in, looking a bit surprised.

"Oh, you're awake? I thought you would still be asleep." He said and Starrk smiled slightly. "I know you don't need food, but would you like something to eat?"

"No, thank you." Starrk answered politely. He doubted they were making anything really good, given their circumstances. Likely they were living from cans. Isshin smiled slightly as he took a seat beside him. He had a small desk with a chair in his room.

"Have you come to any kind of decision?" He asked quietly and Starrk sighed for a moment, closing his eye. He only hoped he wasn't making the wrong choice. But they were right, he didn't trust Aizen. He was sure kami was doing his best to fix this, but if he didn't succeed… the risk was so great.

"I'll tell you." He said and Isshin's eyes widened. "But perhaps you should get Yoruichi and Soi Fon." Everyone would need to know, but only so many could fit in this little room. Starrk glanced around, really seeing the room for the first time. He wasn't sure it had started as a bedroom, but it seemed to make an acceptable one. There was a recessed spot that held the desk, and beside it was a large closet. His bed took up the rest of the room. It had probably been flush against the wall at one point, but now it was moved out to make room for the medical equipment. That left very little space. Isshin got up from the chair, nodding.

"I'll get them." He promised and Starrk nodded, closing his eye for a moment. This was making him tired. The door opened and closed, then after a few moments opened again. Starrk opened his eye, smiling slightly as he saw a cat. She jumped onto his bed, leaving more room for everyone else. Soi Fon and a man he hadn't spoken much to entered the room behind her. Starrk gave him a curious look and he grinned.

"I'm Hirako Shinji, leader of the Visored. So I'm told you're finally willin' to talk?" He said and Starrk frowned slightly. Somehow, that offended his pride a bit.

"Only because I agree that Aizen cannot be trusted to take care of this. And I'm hoping that you'll be able to answer a question for me, when we're done." His hopes were not high at all, but he could hope. "Have any of you heard of the Red Queen?" He asked and not to his surprise, they shook their heads. "We found it in the Kuchiki archives. Juushiro and Shunsui helped me. I'm not even supposed to know this… Aizen will be quite furious with me if he finds out." That still worried him, heavily.

"Well, we ain't about to tell him." Shinji said and Starrk didn't bother pointing out that they would, if they were ever captured. Instead he sighed and told them everything.

It took a while, particularly because Yoruichi and Soi Fon had many questions. They were insightful and pulled out more details about the Red Queen's minions, things he had some trouble recalling. It had been a while since he'd read the books and it had contained some strange minutiae. Including things he hadn't seen, higher ranked, more powerful invaders.

"Sounds like it ain't very advanced yet. We ain't seen anything bigger than the little things." Shinji said and Starrk nodded tiredly.

"The individual 'holes' are all small. But there's so many. That's my question to you… why is this happening?" He asked and they exchanged glances. Isshin was frowning heavily, looking down. "I don't know. We can't find an answer. The old records aren't helpful… Szayel knows the truth, but I can't even question him without betraying myself." That was frustrating but Starrk knew Szayel would probably go to Aizen immediately if he started showing too much interest. And why should he not? That was just good sense.

"I'm afraid I know." Isshin said quietly and they all looked at him. The cat on the bed stiffened, arching her back.

"Isshin! Are you seriously?!" She demanded and he sighed before smiling slightly.

"The Espada is putting himself at great risk already. Don't you think I should do the same? Although the risk will mostly be on my son and daughters." He said lightly and Starrk blinked, confused. What was he saying? "I think I know why this is happening. I thought he must have found a way around it but… tell me, is Aizen trying to father a child?"

"I… yes. Yes, on Unohana Retsu. How did you know?" Starrk asked blankly. He'd never mentioned that, never thought they would care about such a thing. He'd always thought Aizen simply had a desire for children… wait, was this connected somehow? Isshin smiled at him grimly.

"The Soul King's Throne can only be claimed by someone of the royal line. The royal line is a bit flexible, though. Anyone can be ennobled through marriage but they only truly become part of the royal line when a child is born." He said and Starrk stared at him, stunned. "I assumed Aizen had found some way to subvert that, but it sounds like he hasn't. So for years, there has been no real Soul King."

"…" Starrk considered that for a moment. He didn't know what kami did, exactly, but he assumed it was rather important. No wonder the weakening seemed to be happening everywhere. "How do you know this?" It wasn't common knowledge. If it had been, they all would have been able to guess why Aizen was trying to father a child on Unohana. Isshin smiled grimly.

"Because I'm the youngest son of the previous Soul King. 'Shiba' was a pseudonym." He said and Starrk stared as Lilinette squeaked. "And now, we're trusting you. If you told Aizen that he would likely forgive you everything else you've done."

"He might." Starrk said, feeling dazed. Of course, if Aizen knew that… "Kami. He'd kill Ichigo and take the girls." Then his stomach lurched as he kept following that thought. "He'd kill Grimmjow." If Aizen determined that Ichigo had to die, he wouldn't even bother talking to the Sexta Espada. Particularly since he'd likely feel the need to eliminate Tigre too, to prevent any possible competition. Starrk felt ill at the thought. "The child, he'd kill the child."

"Child? What child?" Yoruichi asked and Starrk winced to himself. He hadn't really mentioned the hybrid children, aside from his own. Perhaps he should, although he thought Ichigo would have preferred to tell his father himself. Still…

"Grimmjow and Ichigo have a child. Created by Szayel, like mine." He admitted and Isshin looked utterly shocked at the thought. "Kurosaki Tigre. He's a wonderful little boy… Aizen wouldn't let him live, if he knew this." Starrk rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "I could never tell him." He liked Grimmjow but even if he hadn't, he would never have been able to give Aizen this information. He couldn't condemn a family like that.

"I'm a grandfather?" Isshin sounded disbelieving. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" He suddenly demanded and Starrk sighed.

"I thought Ichigo might like to tell you himself. Foolish of me, perhaps." He said tiredly as the shinigami scowled at him. "Sorry… so we know what the problem is. What is the solution?" He asked and the Visored spoke up cheerfully.

"Kill Aizen an' put Isshin on the throne – what?" Isshin was shaking his head. He enlightened them quickly.

"I can't. When I decided to go into the world my father put a special seal on me. I'm ineligible for the throne." He said and Shinji blinked as Soi Fon frowned. "It would have to be Ichigo." He said firmly.

"Or one of the girls." Soi Fon spoke and Starrk smiled to himself as Isshin frowned. Was he more protective of his daughters than his son? A common plight. Then his smile faded as he thought about what they were discussing.

"You are asking me to betray Aizen now." He said quietly. What he'd done up until this point had not actually been betrayal. He could have played up the torture, emphasized how badly he'd been hurt. Maybe he would have escaped with his life. But this… no. If he went along with this, there would be no hope.

"Tell me somethin'. That Szayel guy, is he helping Aizen to try an' put a kid in Unohana?" Shinji asked and Starrk hesitated before nodding. "How long would you say he's been at it?"

"…Several years." He admitted. He thought he knew where the Visored was going with this and he didn't like it. Shinji grinned at him. It was rather unsettling.

"And he still doesn't have a kid. What if it ain't possible anymore? What if Szayel just can't do it? Will Aizen abdicate the throne or will he let the three worlds come apart first?" Shinji asked and Starrk stared at him, horrified by the thought. Would Aizen let them all die, let himself die, before he gave up his grip on what he'd worked towards for so long?

"Damn you." He breathed before tightly closing his eye. Why did the Visored have to be right? What was he to do? What could he –

"…Aizen's a selfish prick!" Lilinette suddenly barked and Starrk blinked, looking at her. "Fuck him! Fuck him Starrk! He'll let us all die before he lets' go! You know he will!"

"Lilinette." He said half-heartedly. She just huffed at him, annoyed. "I… agree with your logic." He finally said, facing the truth. It was the truth, however little he might like it. "What do you want of me?" He asked, feeling like he was falling down a rabbit hole. Once he took the first step, there would be no turning back. Aizen would not simply kill him for this. His fate would be much, much worse. Although he wasn't entirely certain what it would be.

No Espada had ever betrayed kami before.

* * *

Starrk snuffled, rubbing his nose and blinking owlishly as he stood by the tower.

He'd come up with a very simple way to explain his injuries and also get himself back into Soul Society. He'd just finished his report and given them a short description of a massive battle with the Visored and escapees. There were plenty of smoking ruins around him, providing proof of his statements. Of course, his wounds were a bit old, but he would just go to Orihime immediately. She wouldn't know anything about how old they were supposed to be and when she was done, no one would even be able to tell he'd been hurt.

"Maybe she can get rid of this cold." He muttered to himself before sneezing. It was rather amusing. When hollows got sick it was usually very, very bad, because they only got sick when they were badly wounded and reiatsu drained. He was wounded but now that the limiter was off, the Coyote was anything but reiatsu drained. His body was energetically fighting off the infection and something that could have been near-lethal had been quickly reduced to a nasty cold. It was still unpleasant and he spat a wad of phlegm onto the ground.

"Ew Starrk! You're gross." Lilinette complained from her perch on the tower and he smiled up at her. She'd been spared the illness, probably because she did have her own body.

"Come down here so I can kiss you." He said and she gagged theatrically at the thought.

"Keep your nasty germs away from me! Oh hi Nnoitra!" She chirped and Starrk turned to see the other Espada. He was grinning as he looked them over.

"Shit, they did fuck you up didn't they? What happened to your shirt?" He asked, laughing as he swung Santa Teresa. Starrk sighed.

"Lilinette accidentally ruined it. I hope you're not the only one here." Not that he actually cared but Nnoitra wasn't the Primera. Starrk was incredibly powerful, it was possible that he could defeat all the Visored and their allies, especially with the protections that Szayel had built into the towers. Nnoitra… no. The other Espada scowled.

"That fucker Yammy is here too. Bastard." Nnoitra growled and Starrk blinked, wondering what the hostility was about. Usually they got along rather well. Although knowing Yammy, he could easily have done something stupid.

"Well, have fun. The red things will give you plenty to do." Starrk said tiredly before Lilinette jumped down, perching on his shoulders. They departed in a burst of sonido. The Coyote couldn't wait to go home… although he wouldn't be going alone. As he approached the senkaimon he slowed to a stop, easily finding a cat. "Hello neko." He said before picking her up. Bright yellow eyes blinked at him, amused. "Ready to go?" Yoruichi was wearing a special collar that would help to hide her reiatsu. Along with his powerful aura, that should be more than sufficient to get her through the senkaimon. It helped that he had an extra hell butterfly. He and Lilinette were technically one entity so they didn't really need two, something that had slipped Szayel's mind.

"Ready." She said and he stepped through the senkaimon, holding his breath for a moment. But no alarms went off and he carried her into the Seireitei before depositing her on the ground. The shinigami-cat flirted her tail at him for a moment before vanishing. Starrk had a very good idea of where she was going.

Isshin badly wanted to know about his family and they would be critical to any future plans. Yoruichi would go there first.

* * *

_Some time earlier._

Byakuya frowned as he sipped his tea. He was with Miyaki, waiting for Yammy and Katapira to return from their nightly hunt. This one had been going on for quite some time and he didn't like it. Their little girl wasn't ready for this sort of thing, but there was no telling Yammy that. And Miyaki was very angry. That worried him greatly. Kata needed her nana and he needed her almost as much.

He paused, looking into his tea and reflecting on it. He wasn't very proud of his reactions, but having a nanny for Kata had given him the time and ease of mind to realize what had been happening. When Yammy had forced him to care for the little girl, it had been an affront to his pride. He was already forced to wear dresses and share that monster's bed. Having to care for a baby on top of that had been simply too much for him to swallow. He hadn't taken it out on the child, exactly, but he hadn't been able to really see her for herself. She was just another burden, forced onto him by his rapist.

Now, though, she had a nanny. Someone else who could tend to her basic needs, help her when she was fussing or sick. That gave him the relief and emotional distance he needed to really see her for herself. And what he saw, as she grew, was a bright little child with a sweet temperament. She had her temper tantrums, her moments when she was being a brat, but overall Katapira was a wonderful girl. She was very sensitive to others and never cruel, unlike her monster of a sire.

As if that thought had summoned him, Yammy stomped into the room. Kata was behind him, barely on her feet and sobbing wildly. Byakuya's stomach clenched as he saw the way her left arm was hanging. It was broken and his daughter didn't have the same kind of regeneration as Tigre. He started up but stopped dead as the Claim hit him.

"Stupid little bitch can just suffer 'til she learns better." Yammy growled and Byakuya's eyes widened. He couldn't be serious! Unfortunately, he seemed to be. "No helping her." That was Claim enforced and he felt ill. Then Miyaki exploded.

"You can't be serious! She's a little girl and she has a broken arm! She could be crippled! We – " Yammy backhanded her, knocking her into a wall so hard she actually went through. Kata screamed.

"NANA!" Suddenly heedless of her broken arm, Kata scrambled through the shattered wall. Her extra arms appeared, helping her. "NANA!" Byakuya stood frozen, still held in place by the Claim. Yammy grunted, fury in his eyes and face.

"Stupid bitch." He snarled before storming out and Byakuya was only grateful he hadn't eaten anyone. He was getting a bit better about that, though. The first few years they had hosted him had been difficult, to say the least. He went to Miyaki and swallowed as he realized she was dead. The brute had broken her neck. Kata was sobbing, saying 'nana' over and over again as she tried to get her nanny to respond. Then something occurred to him. He'd been forbidden to help Kata but not Miyaki and there was one person who could heal even this.

"Come on Kata." He said quietly and she looked up at him, her grey eyes full of tears. "We'll see if we can make nana better." Byakuya said, lifting Miyaki in his arms. She was surprisingly light. "Can you hang onto me?" That was a lot to ask of a girl with a broken arm, but she did have three more of them. Kata nodded, sniffling.

"Y-Yes." She whispered and he knelt to let her get a good grip. She whimpered softly but clung tightly to him as he launched into shunpo, heading for Orihime's house. It didn't take them long to arrive. He frowned as he realized that Ulquiorra was in attendance, then shook his head. Ulquiorra and Yammy were not friends and his child often played with Casamir. Hopefully the Quatro Espada would be sympathetic with his plight.

"Byakuya? Oh no, Miyaki!" Orihime was horrified to see what was happening. "Saeten Kisshun!" She said as soon as he set Kata's nanny down. He eased Kata down next and she whimpered as every movement jolted her broken limb. Byakuya took a good look at it and sighed to himself. It was at least a clean break. Hopefully they could at least straighten and bind it, when Yammy's temper had worn itself out a bit. For now he would just have to leave it.

"What is going on here?" Ulquiorra. Byakuya lifted his head, blinking as he realized the Espada had clearly been cooking something. He was wearing an apron that said 'complaints to the cook may be hazardous to your health.' Byakuya had no doubt that could be true, for himself at least. Orihime and Casamir likely had little to fear. The Espada frowned at the body on the ground before looking at him. Those green eyes silently demanded answers.

"Yammy." Byakuya said, which was enough of an explanation. But then Ulquiorra's gaze went to Kata and the barest hint of a frown crossed his features. Then he spoke to Orihime.

"Onna. When you are done with her, heal the girl." He said and Byakuya's stomach clenched. If he disobeyed Yammy or even let Ulquiorra do it, his clan would pay the price.

"No, we cannot. Yammy ordered that she not be tended." He said and Ulquiorra's eyes snapped back at him. There was the faintest hint of incredulity there before he spoke.

"What occurred?" He asked and Byakuya hesitated. He honestly didn't know what had happened. It was Kata who replied, tearfully. She regarded Ulquiorra as a distant, slightly frightening but also protective figure.

"Yammy-papi took me hunting. I tr-tried really hard! I was stalking a deer and I leaped but it st-stepped on me!" She said tearfully and Ulquiorra blinked slowly. "I tried Uncle! I really tried! He said I wasn't tr-trying and I had to get better on my o-own… it really hurts." She whispered, sniffling and hiding her face against Byakuya's side. He sighed to himself, gently putting an arm around her shoulders. He'd had a broken arm a time or two, he could imagine how much it hurt. He was only surprised she was taking it so well.

"…You are too young to be hunting such large prey. In Hueco Mundo, a child your size would be hunting the tiny things that dwell in the sands." Ulquiorra said after a moment's reflection. "Inoue, you will heal her. I will take responsibility." He said shortly and she nodded, not looking up from her work. He reached up and stripped away the apron, hanging it up as Byakuya watched, frowning slightly. "I will speak to the others. This conduct is unacceptable." Byakuya swallowed but nodded. Ulquiorra meant to make some kind of move against Yammy on Katapira's behalf. He wasn't really too surprised, in a way. Most of Soul Society was afraid of the hybrids and most of the Numeros were not powerful enough to be acceptable as mates to the growing children. They would likely find partners among the other hybrids, and Kata was showing promise. Ulquiorra wouldn't want that promise snuffed out by her brute of a father. That was logic a noble could understand… they often betrothed children very young. But Yammy might blame him for this, take it out on him. After a moment Byakuya decided he didn't care.

He would take abuse to protect little Kata from her other sire.


	28. A Coyote's Pain

"Shiro-chan! Kimono-chan! Get some tissues for Starrk, he's full of gross stuff!" Juushiro looked up at that call, surprised. Lilinette was running towards them and Starrk was behind her, rubbing his nose and sniffling.

"Lilinette." The Coyote said, his usual, half-hearted admonishment. Lilinette completely ignored him, also as usual. "I have this thing about breathing, I like it – uck." Starrk pause to cough, a thick, wet sound. Then he drew in a breath and spat a wad of phlegm into the bushes.

"Oh kami!" Shunsui said with a laugh as Juushiro blinked. Had he just seen what he thought he'd…? "Are you sick? I didn't even know arrancar could get sick!" He asked merrily and Starrk grimaced, running a hand through his hair. The Espada looked like he hadn't washed or changed in weeks, which was likely the case. Hollows didn't technically need such things but they developed an interesting funk when they didn't have them. Juushiro was willing to bet that Starrk had a very good case of it. He wasn't getting close enough to make sure.

"Only when we're badly hurt. I had a run in with the Visored and the other survivors." He said and Shunsui's cheer dropped away as Juushiro felt his stomach clench. Starrk was clearly alive. Were they…? "I think I might have killed a few of them but I'm not sure. Lilinette did something stupid and caused a rather massive explosion."

"Oi! Blaming it all on me. You're dumb too Starrk!" Lilinette retorted and he smiled, patting her head. "Tissues! Before he does it again!" She complained and Juushiro searched through his pockets. He usually had kleenex's for his own problem. Starrk accepted them gratefully before blowing his nose, then coughing out another wad of mucus. It was much better when he had a tissue over his mouth.

"Have you been to Unohana to check on that?" Juushiro asked, vividly remembering his stupidity as a boy. If only he hadn't been so determined to just wait out the sickness, it might not have taken such a deep hold in his body. Starrk nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to be sure it wasn't serious. She says it's just a virus that took advantage of my condition and my bodies' fighting it off well. I can anticipate a month of misery and then I should be fine. She said it was a cold, which is odd, I don't feel chilly." He said and Juushiro smiled. That was adorable. "When is Marishiko giving birth?" He asked, concerned.

"In just a week." Juushiro answered. He'd been following the pregnancy closely. "The twins… one of them isn't healthy." He said softly and Starrk stiffened, looking stricken. "But Szayel and Unohana both think they can save him after the birth. It's a heart defect." As soon as the baby was born he would immediately be operated on. Starrk swallowed hard before nodding.

"I'm glad we have two then." He said quietly and Juushiro winced. But from a hollow perspective that was likely just practical. Adjuchas often had multiple litters. Vasto lorde didn't, and for them a child with such a problem would just die, causing the parents much distress. "I need to take a bath. I feel disgusting. Lilinette, you need a bath too." The Coyote said severely and his other half pouted, crossing her arms at him.

"But I want to play with Kinomi!" She protested and Starrk gave her a narrow eyed look. "Oh alright, alright! I'm going!" She said before running off. Starrk called after her.

"Make sure you actually wash. I'll be checking!" He said and Juushiro blinked before glancing at Shunsui, meeting his gaze. Something was… different about Starrk. He seemed more energetic? More alive, somehow. "Excuse me, I should go. I must smell terrible." He said apologetically and Shunsui laughed.

"You do have an interesting odor. Go wash, we'll wait for you." He said and Starrk smiled for a moment before leaving. "Does he seem different to you?" He asked as they returned to their tea and Juushiro nodded.

"He seems more… awake." He offered and Shunsui nodded with a frown. "I'm not sure why." But Lilinette didn't seem at all alarmed by the change so it couldn't be a bad thing. And he was still Starrk, just more focused, less sleepy. Juushiro wondered though. What had happened to cause it? Maybe he would ask Lilinette. Starrk might not even know, it was difficult to see changes in yourself.

He knew that from experience.

* * *

"We're not telling them the truth?" Lilinette asked as she dipped a hand in the bathwater. Starrk was deep in a bubble bath, as his other half-lounged on the side. She had gone first and was completely clean, dressed in a white cotton robe. Although nakedness did not concern them. Even with their human memories, they were still hollows. Starrk closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head.

"If they know nothing they can betray nothing. I imagine we'll need to tell them eventually, but not yet." He said quietly and Lilinette looked dubious for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, that's fine but they're going to notice you're different. You're not lazy anymore." She said and he snorted before laughing.

"Oh, I'm still lazy! Remember how I always – ow." He rubbed his head where she had swatted him. "I know, I know, it's different." He wasn't sleeping twelve to sixteen hours anymore. He was sleeping more like six to eight and feeling just fine with that. "I can't hide the change from them, but I think I should try to hide it from Aizen." He said after a moment's reflection. Lilinette blew a raspberry at him.

"You really suck at acting Starrk!" She said, which was absolutely true. The Coyote sighed as he thought about it.

"I'm not bad at lying though. Acting is just lying with my body. I'll master it." He assured her and she frowned. "I have to. Hmm… I'll just make sure to spend my extra time here, with you and my pets. If I tell them to keep the changes to themselves, they will." Juushiro and Shunsui would see the value in being underestimated. "Then when I'm around Aizen I'll keep falling asleep or try to look lost in my thoughts. I'm good at that." It had driven his father mad, often enough. Lilinette nodded.

"Okay, we sort of have a plan. I wonder what the cat's doing?" She asked and Starrk shrugged.

"It's hard to say." They would only find out when she came to them for a trip back to the Living world. Espada were allowed to go to and fro on their days off, as long as they took no pets, so Starrk wouldn't have too much trouble. He'd asked the Visored to get him some novelty glasses. Toys for Lilinette and Kinomi, they would be his excuse for the trip. Starrk only hoped he wouldn't need to use it. If he did, it would mean someone was questioning his actions.

Being the lazy Coyote had many advantages. Being underestimated and disregarded, primarily. He didn't want that advantage to vanish too soon.

* * *

Ichigo frowned as he studied his book of healing kido.

Healing kido was actually the hardest kind, for him at least. It seemed to depend on making a connection to the other person through his reiatsu. With his vast reiryoku, though, that was very difficult. When he was on the lower settings he could manage it but eventually, he was supposed to be getting rid of the bracelets entirely. Right now he could go reasonably high on them with offensive and defensive spells, but not healing.

A lot of the book, though, was devoted to anatomy and general health. He loved that, it reminded him of his plans to be a doctor someday. Right now he was reading about how to treat gout with kido. Apparently shinigami could suffer from it, and often more than the regular population. Something about too much saki along with rich food. It sounded very painful and the kido method of drawing out the crystals didn't sound like much fun either…

"Well, well! Turning into quite a bookworm, aren't we?" Ichigo started violently and almost dropped his book at the sound of that familiar voice. His gaze went to a nearby black cat who was idly washing her face.

"Yoruichi!" He kept his voice down, mindful of Grimmjow's hearing. The Espada wasn't here right now but he could come home at any time. "Are you alright? Oh my god, how did you get here?" He couldn't believe it. It had been so long, he'd practically given up hope.

"I can't tell you that." She said very seriously as he frowned at her. "You don't need to know. Now, how are you? Your father is very worried." She asked and Ichigo's stomach lurched. He swallowed hard for a moment, thinking about what to say. "We know about the Hollow Claim, Ichigo." Yoruichi said, her tone compassionate.

"Oh." That… sort of helped. At least he wouldn't have to tell them although he wished he could have just left his father ignorant of this. He dropped his gaze, thinking about it for a moment. "Tell Goat Face that I'm fine." He said softly, lifting his eyes to meet Yoruichi's golden ones. "It's been kind of rocky but it's going better now." It hurt to think about how it had been, when he'd still been a slave. He still was, technically, but Ichigo didn't think of himself that way anymore. And he knew Grimmjow didn't. The change in their relationship was profound. "I'm gay. That helps." He admitted and Yoruichi blinked slowly before chuckling.

"I did wonder… but I thought you just might not have really hit puberty yet." She said and Ichigo blushed. "But I know Renji isn't gay. How is he holding up?" She asked and Ichigo winced before laughing.

"Oh, just fine. Apparently, high level hollows are made of male and female souls so they can switch genders." He said and Yoruichi's mouth dropped open. It was hard for a cat to look shocked, but she managed it. "Renji loves it." He was amused but also irritated. He honestly didn't like sharing his 'mate' that way. "I…" The door to the backyard suddenly opened and he went silent as Tigre stepped out.

"Itsy-papi? Who are you talking to?" He asked before noticing the cat. "A kitty! Can I hold her?" Ichigo grinned at the thought. And it would serve Yoruichi right for all the times she'd appeared naked in front of him.

"I don't see why not." He said as he looked down at the cat. Yellow eyes blinked, looking from him to Tigre. His boy was looking very good today, wearing a white t-shirt with a silhouette with a stalking cat. His pants were grey sweats and his hair had just recently been cut and styled. The bright orange spiky arrangement was very cute on him.

"Awesome! Thanks!" He picked Yoruichi up, who squirmed pathetically. Ichigo smiled and corrected his cat holding technique, teaching him to support her legs properly. The look she gave him was less than friendly but she could hardly protest in front of Tigre. "Can we have a cat, Itsy-papi?" He asked wistfully and Ichigo blinked. He hadn't really thought of getting a pet… "Maybe this one?" Tigre asked and he had to laugh.

"I think this one already has a home. But we can ask Grimm-papi about it maybe." Ichigo wondered if Grimmjow would want a pet. As far as he knew, the Espada hadn't even considered it and until now it hadn't come up. "Why don't you let her go?" He suggested as Yoruichi squirmed, giving him a look that promised death at a later time. Tigre sighed but set her down, patting her on the back.

"Bye kitty." He said and she ran off, before leaping up onto the wall around the garden. She looked back at them for a moment before flirting her tail playfully and vanishing. Ichigo wondered where she was going but then resigned himself to not knowing. It really was better that way.

"Would you like a cat or a dog?" He asked his son as they went back into the house. The wonderful smells of supper cooking filled the air. Tigre thought about it a moment, a frown on his little face. Ichigo felt his heart melt all over again at that. His boy really did look like him.

"I want a dog! Then I could take it over to Auntie Inoue's and me and Casamir could play with it." He said happily and Ichigo smiled at the thought. Although…

"You'll have to wash it and pick up after it." He cautioned and Tigre nodded enthusiastically. "…" Ichigo sighed to himself as he considered the boy. He gave it three to one odds that he'd be the one caring for the dog before the year was out. Did he want one? After a moment he decided he did. He'd only had a cat as a child and he did like them, but he would like a dog too. Of course, Grimmjow would have to make the decision. He couldn't bring a pet into the house if the Espada was against it. "We'll ask Grimm-papi when he gets home." He said and Tigre nodded again before chattering about what kind of dog he would like. Ichigo listened, smiling.

He was pretty sure Grimmjow wouldn't be able to resist his son's entreaties. They would be getting a dog soon.

* * *

_Starrk glanced over the two taichou in his custody, considering how to do this. The one with the kimono was frowning at him while the white haired one just looked hopeless._

_In truth, he wasn't particularly comfortable with Aizen's decision. He understood the logic, though. Claimed, the taichou would be safe to use. And shinigami were important to the functioning of the three worlds. Despite their great power and shinigami properties, arrancar were still hollows and lacked proper zanpakuto. They simply couldn't take over the shinigami's duties. So they needed to be brought to heel, and these two would be Aizen's instruments._

_Of course, that depended on Starrk controlling them for him. A low, shameful part of him desperately wanted to do it. They were both strong, these two, and would easily survive his power. That was a very rare thing. The little white haired taichou couldn't take his reiatsu and the others were all fukutaichou, absolutely out of the question for him. Still… for a moment he hesitated. Starrk was unusual in that he didn't much care for rape. He hadn't done it as an adjuchas, and once he'd made vasto lorde it had become impossible. His power had devoured any hollows that got too close, preventing any kind of sexual relationship. So he was very nearly a virgin, except for Halibel, although he assumed he'd had some experience in the human life he couldn't remember._

" _I'm going to give you a choice." He said, his voice impressively even. He didn't know it, but his face showed no nervousness at all, no hint that he was not in control. "Aizen has decreed that any remaining taichou must be Claimed by arrancar if they are to be allowed to live." He said bluntly and the dark one frowned as the white haired one just looked confused. "You don't know about Claiming, do you?" The Coyote asked, mildly apprehensive. He really didn't want to have to explain it._

" _No… what is it?" The white haired one asked and Starrk paused. He'd been rather distracted at the time so maybe it was no surprise he'd forgotten._

" _I remember your friends' name, but forgive me, I've forgotten yours. What is it?" He asked. After he received a quick reply, he continued. "Juushiro, Claiming is a way hollows have of dominating each other. Essentially, the reiatsu of the stronger fuses with the weaker and is pulled back, creating an unbreakable bond. Think of it as a reiatsu net. The dominated hollow cannot strike out at the stronger and must obey any reiatsu enforced command faithfully." Starrk paused for a moment, glancing down before speaking quietly. "The Claim is accomplished through sexual intercourse. It is extremely pleasurable." He lifted his gaze in time to see the shinigami give each other a horrified look._

" _No! This is insane. Aizen actually condoned this?" Shunsui asked, sounding horrified. Starrk sighed._

" _He requires it." He corrected and both the shinigami looked sick. "As the Primera, I was allowed to have first choice. The two of you are the only ones here who can survive my power… but I will give you a choice. If you don't want to be Claimed by me, you can refuse and I will take no one." He said softly, wishing he could simply bend them over and take them. But some part of him found the idea repulsive. "Then you will have to take your chances with the rest of the Espada." It wasn't much of a choice, but it was a choice._

" _No! Forget it. We'll – " Shunsui started to say but then Juushiro spoke, interrupting him._

" _I'll do it." He said and Starrk met his eyes, seeing determination there. Shunsui went pale, looking at his fellow taichou in shock._

" _Juushiro?!" He sounded disbelieving. Starrk just nodded his acceptance. "What are you – stop!" Starrk ignored him, grasping the shinigami's bonds and pulling him to his feet. The white haired man went willingly, with only a bit of discomfort on his face._

" _You will have some time to think about it." Starrk said to him before taking Juushiro with him. He ignored the other taichou's protests, taking his prisoner to a slightly hidden part of the ruins. There were no really good places for this, no beds or other amenities, but it had to be done and he was damned if he'd let anyone watch._

_Later, of course, he would understand why Juushiro so easily submitted to him. Shunsui was outraged and confused, not thinking logically, but Juushiro was calm and composed even in defeat. He'd quickly realized that the only hope they had of remaining together was if they were Claimed by the same Espada, and Starrk was offering to take them both. And his action would force Shunsui to accept unless he wished them parted. Starrk knew none of that, though, and lubrication was not something he habitually kept about himself. He did his best with fingers and saliva but it wasn't too good. That hardly mattered, though, when the Claim began._

_For the first time in a long while, Starrk was allowed to set his passions free. The feeling of being inside another's body was incredible. The tight heat, the wetness, the way Juushiro gasped and arched as he poured reiatsu into the man… it was good, he could not deny it. Starrk struggled with himself, forcing himself to use only the minimum reiatsu necessary for the Claim. This shinigami could tolerate his power but not easily._

_Finally he could take no more and Starrk's fangs tore into his shoulder, the spot he preferred. He drank back the blood and the reiatsu, feeling a pleasure like nothing he'd experienced before in his life. The orgasm was prolonged and intense. When he was done, though, he could sense the pain of the man beneath him. It wasn't too bad but his preparation had been inadequate and Starrk winced as he slowly pulled away._

" _I apologize." He said softly, running a hand down the taichou's side. The man looked over his shoulder at him, his brown eyes filled with tears. "I will have Orihime heal you as soon as possible." The taichou nodded before pulling up his hakama. The movements were stiff and Starrk could feel the pain echoing back through him._

_When he brought Juushiro back, Shunsui glared at him helplessly, clearly wishing he was dead. Starrk just met his gaze calmly._

" _Have you come to a decision?" He asked, fully prepared to hear the shinigami tell him to go to hell. But Shunsui surprised him._

" _I accept your 'generous' offer." He spat the words with venom and Starrk flinched a little at the tone. It almost made him not want to take the man – he really didn't need negativity in his life – but he'd already offered. Taking a deep breath, the Coyote nodded his head before taking hold of his bonds._

_It wasn't the same. Claiming Juushiro had been effortless on his part, except for the work he put into not overwhelming the man with his runaway reiryoku. Shunsui was completely different. He encountered resistance as soon as he sank into the other's body, felt that powerful reiatsu fighting against him every inch of the way. It activated a completely different instinct in him and Starrk growled, asserting his dominance with more and more of his reiatsu. This was a feral, instinct driven mating, as he fought to Claim the man while not killing him. Shunsui didn't help him at all. Every moment was a struggle…_

_But the outcome was never in any doubt. Finally, fangs tore through the man's shoulder and Starrk drank back the blood and sweet, heavy reiatsu. The feeling of so completely dominating someone else, so unwilling, was a strange thrill. But as the pleasure wore off Starrk felt sick. Swallowing hard, he pulled away and winced as he saw a bit of blood. He'd been rough, in his fight to Claim the man. Shunsui jerked away from him, yanking up his hakama as he breathed heavily._

" _I hate you." Starrk flinched as he felt that hatred, like iron in his mouth. It was an alien emotion to him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd hated someone, and he thought perhaps he never had. Grey eyes met grey for a brief moment before he looked away._

" _You can if you want, but I wish you wouldn't." He said quietly before offering the man a hand. "Come, your friend is waiting." Now that this task was complete they could go to Soul Society and begin the next phase of Aizen's plan. Shunsui ignored his hand and walked past him, limping slightly. The Coyote sighed to himself as he followed._

_Was it better to be alone, or in company that hated? He wasn't sure, but Starrk knew one thing. Hatred could eventually change. Being alone never could._

* * *

Starrk started awake, a violent jerk that caused someone to murmur a sleepy protest. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. His mind flashed back to his long ago prison and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Then he blinked and swallowed as reality came back to him. He wasn't in that long ago time, or even the more recent memory of Claiming his two mates. No, he was warm and loved, in the safety of his bed. But… not entirely. Tears built in his eyes as guilt suddenly threatened to overwhelm him. Carefully leaving the bed – he had plenty of practice – Starrk paused to pull on some pants. Then he left, intending to go to the roof. Perhaps seeing the sky would help to clear his mind.

Soon he was on the roof, standing and looking at the growing dawn. It was early in the morning, very early. Starrk rubbed his face, flinching as he flashed back again to his time in his cell. How many times had he looked out of his little window and watched the sun rise? Too many to count.

"I'm not that boy anymore, not that man. I'm Coyote Starrk, the Primera. I'm strong and free. No one will ever cage me again." He told the world. There was no answer. "…Damn." Sitting down on the roof he buried his face in his hands. "I need to get past this." It was easier said than done. There was a reason why his heart had desired forgetfulness above all things. And now he had so many other things to forget.

Starrk was so deep in his private despair that he didn't notice someone else joining him on the roof. He did notice when a pink kimono was draped over his shoulders. He looked up in surprise, grey eyes wide as Shunsui took a seat beside him.

"Starrk, what is wrong?" He asked, his tone gentle. Starrk met his eyes for a moment before looking down at the pink kimono. He reached up to touch it, feeling the soft fabric between his fingers.

"It's just… I…" It seemed too overwhelming to explain. His emotional turmoil was too massive. And the kimono reminded him of his more recent pain. Tears built in his eyes before he blinked. "When did you forgive me, for what I did to you?" He asked softly, to Shunsui's surprise.

"When?" He asked, scratching his chin and looking at the coming down. The sky was getting brighter, the soft light trickling and illuminating the clouds with a soft pink glow. "Well… I think I started to forgive you as soon as I spoke to Juushiro about it." He said softly and Starrk watched him, his profile. He looked so handsome like this, in the light of the dawn. "He was right to take your offer. It was the best we would get, at the time. And you would have preferred not to Claim us at all, true?"

"…Yes, that's true." Starrk whispered. He'd felt bad about it even at the time. Now, with his memories restored, he felt like a rapist. He really hadn't felt that way when he'd only had his hollow memories. Hollows just didn't look at rape the same way. "I'm sorry." He looked down, pained. Then he looked up as a warm hand clasped his shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Still, I didn't forgive you then." Shunsui went back to his thoughts and Starrk nodded. He knew his pet had carried bitterness for a long time. "You were still forced onto us, into our bed. It was our duty to keep you satisfied." Starrk flinched as his own words were flung back at him. He'd just been explaining the place of a pet, he had hardly even meant it, but he had said that. "I think I really forgave you when you refused to eat our officers. That cost you a great deal of pain, Starrk."

"Yes." He'd done it to keep his pets from even more pain. Starrk drew a deep, unsteady breath as he remembered. "It was worth it." The pain of devouring a bit of himself, then the pain Aizen had visited on him… all worth it. Shunsui smiled at him and it was beautiful to the Espada.

"But why is this coming up now? What has changed with you?" He asked and the Coyote sighed, looking down.

"Lilinette… the explosion. I was badly hurt and I remembered." He said, aching with the pain of it. "I remembered everything… my heart's desire was to forget and I can't anymore." He almost wanted to, but not quite. Remembering had brought back unimaginable pain, but Starrk could tell that without his memories he wasn't complete. Broken, like any hollow. Then Shunsui's voice brought him back to reality.

"What happened?" The honest concern in his voice made him sniff, then rub his face for a moment before he told the story again. This time, though, he allowed his emotions to come forth. The Visored had been enemies, at the time. He hadn't wanted to reveal the depths of his pain to them, not the way he could with Shunsui or Juushiro. And there were other things… "They never came to see me. Others got visitors – I could hear them sometimes, talking through the doors – but I never did." Tears slid slowly down his cheeks as he remembered. "My mother, my father… did they really hate me so much? Why didn't my mother ever defend me? She knew the hollows were real, she knew…" That had been the cruelest betrayal. His mother had to have known the truth. Why had she done nothing for him? "All I had in that cell was my rosary but I had no sins to atone for." That was the one thing the nuns had given him, a wooden rosary. He'd worn it and sometimes played with it, enjoying the clink of the beads, but he'd never used it for its intended purpose. What need did he have for god's forgiveness?

"Starrk." Warm arms suddenly enfolded him and Starrk willingly sank into the embrace, hiding his face against Shunsui's neck. "That was long ago and far away. You're not that man anymore." He said comfortingly and Starrk sniffled before nodding slightly.

"I know. I'm the Primera now. I'm strong and free." He could have added brave to that, but Lilinette still seemed like the brave one to him. So many times when he was feeling down, she'd kicked him and asked him to draw for her or play one of the absurd little games they'd made up. Those long years, he thought that little Lily had kept him sane. "It's just going to take some time." Healing would not take a single night, or even several nights. He'd lived quite a while in Hueco Mundo and he'd never come close to healing. But then, hollows couldn't heal. They simply existed, in the endless twilight of their forgotten world.

"Hmmm." Shunsui sounded a bit doubtful and Starrk lifted his head, wondering what the shinigami was thinking. But he was only given a smile. "I'm curious now. What was your name, when you were alive? Do you remember?" He asked and the Coyote blinked, thinking about it. His name? He had to fight for it but finally the answer came to him and he suddenly smiled.

"Lupe. I was Lupe." He said, then laughed and Shunsui's puzzled look. "It means wolf." So many things about his hollow existence went back to his life as a living man. He'd loved wolves, loved the things his books said about them, but there had been no wolves where he lived. Only coyotes, which he had called little wolves. He'd always been sad, when his father killed them for coming close to the manor. "I loved to read books about gunslingers…" It hadn't really been that long ago. "People forget so quickly, what sanitariums used to be like." He whispered to himself. The modern world wouldn't recognize the place he'd been consigned to, but it hadn't been that long ago. "Lupe and Lily, we were such a pair." That was the one thing that didn't hurt to remember. Lily had been his joy in that barren place. He let go of Shunsui with a small sigh, sitting up. "Juushiro will be waking up soon. We shouldn't let him wake alone." He would be worried to find them both gone. Shunsui nodded, glancing at the sunrise. It was more beautiful now, the clouds glowing brightly. Starrk wished he had something to capture it with. Perhaps he would have to get some paints. He thought about it as they flew down then went back inside and finally decided he would.

His pain was already here. There was no point in avoiding it anymore.


	29. New Babies Arrive

Chad watched Nngato's back as he did his work.

At first, he'd hunted with Cynnbel and Natwa. But he was slower than the two vasto lorde and Nngato's task was gradually becoming more difficult. Red things kept attacking him, forcing the powerful vasto lorde to defend himself at every turn. They would attack the rest of them but if Nngato's powerful reiatsu was in sniffing distance, they went straight for him. They didn't seem to care at all about their casualties.

Chad was coming to believe the ancient vasto lorde. He didn't know what these strange things were, but they were exceedingly odd. They didn't register to his senses like hollows. In fact, they were difficult to sense at all, almost like they weren't really there. But the wounds they inflicted were very real and anytime they landed a blow he felt a strange tug on his soul. It was a little like hollow hunger but also not. The young man didn't like it.

Fortunately, the red things were very weak. Unfortunately, Nngato had warned him that that would change. And it seemed the time for that change was today.

What he was facing now looked like a group of adjuchas and they almost felt like hollows, but not quite. There was something ever so slightly off about them, something he was picking up through his hollow instincts. He'd grown very close to his hollow powers, depending on them deeply in this barren wasteland. So Sado was sure that these strangers were not what they seemed. Although, even if he hadn't been able to sense it the very fact that they were here would have told him that. Only a fool of an adjuchas would go anywhere near a vasto lorde.

They didn't speak at all, just leapt for him. Chad was soon fighting for his life, using both his arms and tossing the monsters away. One of them landed a blow on his shield arm that hurt, biting through his skin and raising a thin like of blood. Sado grunted as he felt the tug on his soul again, but stronger this time, harder to resist. These were something more advanced than the little things…

Then a fin of bone flashed and the adjuchas leaping at him was bisected. It fell away in a splatter of red blood as the sea monster waded into the beasts. Chad helped and very soon, they were all dead. Nngato just stood for a moment, glaring at them as red fluids dripped from his razor sharp fins. Sado knelt down beside one of the corpses, dipping his fingers in the liquid and looking at it carefully.

"It's not blood." He wasn't sure what it was, but it was not that. And the bodies were vanishing very quickly, turning into red sludge. Nngato grunted.

"No. Do not attempt to devour them, they are not good to eat." He said and Chad nodded, although it was rather obvious. Still, better safe than sorry. "It can do this. When the little ones feed on a strong soul, or more than one, they can take its semblance. The last time we fought there were many of these." Nngato nudged a dissolving body with his toe. "Disgusting." He growled and Sado nodded again.

"Are these the strongest things we will face?" He asked and the vasto lorde shook his head.

"No. Eventually there will be slingers. That is what we named them… they are small and agile, but much stronger than these fake things. They shoot out red tendrils that will seek to devour you. When they arrive this will become very difficult. I cannot be interrupted…" Nngato glowered at the red pools before turning away. "We do what we can. I am done here, come." He commanded and Chad followed. The vasto lorde had mended a rip in this area. Now they were on to the next, where Cynnbel and Natwa would find them with food. Although they were having a harder and harder time finding prey. The red things were managing to kill too many adjuchas.

But Nngato was right. They could only do what they could.

* * *

"Little one." Starrk whispered as he very gently held his little girl. He couldn't hold her brother. He was going under the knife as they waited, holding his sister. Unohana and Szayel were working together to correct his congenital heart defect. They were both very certain it would be fine but Starrk wasn't willing to believe it until he had the boy in his arms.

"Can I hold her?" Juushiro asked, longing in his voice. Starrk smiled and passed the girl over. His mate's face lit up with a smile and he tucked her into his arms with the ease of long practice. Juushiro had no children of his own, until now, but he was the eldest of a large family. He knew how to handle babies. Starrk watched them both, smiling softly.

Their girl resembled him greatly. Her hair was a warm chestnut and just like the other children, she seemed perfectly human at a first glance. Her reiatsu told a different story and there was a strong hollow perfume to her aura. Her eyes, when she opened them, were light pink. The sight of that had made Lilinette squee and Starrk smile. They were the same hollow, it seemed right that one of the children had inherited something from his other half.

"You're alright with the name?" He asked quietly and Juushiro looked up from the girl with a smile.

"If you're fine with the other one." He said and Starrk nodded. He hadn't really known their boy's namesake, but Juushiro had wanted to give him a tribute. And their little boy had white hair, they'd caught a glimpse before he'd been whisked away.

"Guadalupe and Toshiro." He said softly and Juushiro's smile widened. Starrk tried to smile back, but couldn't quite hide his worry. "I hope he's going to be well." If not, he wasn't sure what he would do. Well, besides cry. That would certainly happen.

"Oi! Stop being a worry wart Starrk." Lilinette whispered, mindful of the sleeping infant in Juushiro's arms. "He's going to be just fine. Szayel can bring back the dead." She said firmly and Starrk bit back a groan.

"No, he can't. That was all a misunderstanding, that numero was in a medically induced coma. Please stop saying that Lilinette." He pleaded. The Coyote didn't quite understand what medically induced coma meant, but it was something short of death. Actual resurrection was limited to Orihime and kami… if kami could even do it. Starrk had his doubts, Aizen hadn't brought back anyone yet. But then, he wasn't actually kami, now was he? Shelving that thought away for future consideration, Starrk pulled Lilinette close for a hug. She hugged him back, giving comfort to her other half.

Eventually, Unohana came out to see them. She smiled reassuringly but Starrk could only stare at her imploringly.

"He came through just fine." She said to the brand new parents and Starrk sagged in relief as Juushiro smiled. He'd been much less worried than the Primera. But then, he dealt with Unohana all the time, he had a great deal of faith in her. "He'll need to stay here for a week while we monitor and make sure he doesn't catch anything, but he should be fine. Szayel did excellent work on the operation." She sounded like she admired it. Starrk decided not to point out how Szayel had acquired those skills. She likely knew, anyway.

"Can we see him before we go?" He asked wistfully and Unohana nodded.

"Yes, but I would like you both to wear masks. Particularly you, Starrk." She said and he nodded with a grimace. Juushiro wasn't infectious – apparently Unohana had somehow rendered his disease non-communicable, even though she couldn't fully heal him – but his wretched cold certainly was. He put on the medical mask and scrubs willingly and Lilinette giggled as she put on hers. Then he held little Guadalupe as Juushiro pulled on his mask. Soon they were ushered into the room where little Toshiro was waiting.

He was so small and frail, ensconced in warm blankets. He was sleeping on his stomach out of necessity… his little back was marked with a kido-healed scar, thick, red and frightening to the new parents. Starrk reached out carefully with gloved hands and gently stroked that incredibly fine, snow white hair. The little baby almost looked bald, it was so fine. He didn't stir at the touch, still drugged from the operation.

"He's beautiful." Juushiro sounded almost ready to cry and Starrk nodded, speechless. The little baby was beautiful. They both spent time with him, touched him, but eventually they had to go. It would be a week before they could take Toshiro home, but Guadalupe could go right now. Smiling to himself, Starrk brought his little girl home.

For the long-lonely Primera, this was a dream come true.

* * *

"Woah. So this one is yours?" Grimmjow peered at the bundle in Nemu's arms. She was happy this time, a very faint smile but a real one. She nodded. "Can I see?" He was curious to see what kind of monstrosity Szayel had spawned. To his slight disappointment, it was a very normal looking baby girl with extremely pink hair. "Well, that'll at least be a better look on a girl than a guy." He observed then winced as he heard Szayel behind him. How had the bastard sneaked up on him like that?

"Are you mocking my hair, Grimmjow?" He asked before waving a hand. "Really, I shouldn't even let you have yours. And where is Ichigo?" He asked, a bit curious. Grimmjow grimaced.

"The kid picked a shitty time. He's off to his sister's graduation. I stayed home 'cause we knew she was about to pop. He'll just have to see her when he gets home." It sort of sucked that they couldn't share their first moment with the baby, but that was just how it went sometimes. The graduation was a pretty important event, since Karin would be leaving the next week to join the shinigami academy. Yuzu was dating a pretty nice guy, but they'd have to see if anything came of that. Until something did, she was welcome to stay at home and help Ichigo with the kids. Tigre was being homeschooled so really, the help was welcome. "So where is she?" He asked, really curious. What would this one look like?

He found out a moment later as Szayel brought him into the nursery. There was another baby there, to his surprise, one with white hair. And Szayel made him put on a weird white mask, which was just odd.

"While I doubt you have any infections, it's better safe than sorry. That's Starrk's son and his condition is delicate." The scientist explained and Grimmjow looked over the strange baby with a bit of interest. There was one hell of a mark on his back. But then his gaze was pulled to his own offspring and he drew in a breath.

"She looks like me." He breathed, reaching out to touch sky blue hair. The baby was a little girl – they'd known that for a while – and she was cute as a button. Unusual, too. Most of the children just looked like shinigami or sealed up arrancar, although Szayel figured they'd eventually learn how to release their powers and take on more animal-like forms. This girl, though, already had some cat like things going on. Her legs were furred and hinged in a way that reminded him of his released form… almost human, but not quite. And her ears were lightly furred and flexible, also reminding him of his release. Her hands were black, and the black vanished at her elbows, turning into normal skin. Beside her eyes, there were little marks of green. As he watched she yawned, exposing little fangs, and opened her eyes. They were a warm and familiar brown. "Tabitha." He murmured then grinned as Szayel gave him an inquiring look. "Tabby for short." That made the scientist wince.

"A pity she doesn't have any tabby markings." He said and Grimmjow scowled at him before he gently lifted up his child. She gripped the edge of his coat in a surprisingly strong grip.

"Yeah, well, what are you naming yours?" He asked and the Octava smiled, adjusting his glasses.

"Mariposa, of course." He said calmly and Grimmjow grinned.

"Well, you better hope she gets wings or that won't come out too well." He knew what that meant… butterfly. Szayel just shrugged, smiling confidently. "Ah, she probably will." Casamir and Katapira both had some abilities that reflected their parents' base form. Shimonami did too, actually… she could breathe underwater. They'd only figured that out after Halibel had almost had a heart attack. Only Tigre wasn't showing his base form but the kid had that freaky high speed regeneration. So far, it hadn't slowed down a bit. "So I can take her home?" He asked, just to make sure. Szayel nodded.

"Yes, get her out of here. She's extremely noisy and little Ukitake Toshiro doesn't need the stress." He said and Grimmjow blinked, looking at the kid. That was kind of sweet. It had probably been Juushiro who'd come up with it, Starrk hadn't known the l'il guy at all, from what he'd seen.

"Cute. Well, talk to you later." He took his care package of breast milk and diapers and left. Although they had plenty of the latter, but they could always use a few more. Smiling to himself, he took his baby home.

He couldn't wait to see Ichigo's face when he got home from the graduation.

* * *

"Wow!" Tigre sounded awed as he held the little girl in his arms. She just looked up at him curiously, blinking her big brown eyes. "She's so – PUP!" Their new puppy was still, well, a puppy. He tried to jump on Tigre with the baby in his arms and Ichigo caught his collar, pulling him down with a grin.

"Sit!" He commanded to the puppy. The pup ignored him, intent on Tigre and little Tabitha. "Oh, you… Sit!" The puppy didn't mean any harm but he was already too big for this sort of thing. Unfortunately, he really hadn't mastered any commands yet and he was far too excited anyway.

"Oi, we're going to have to train that thing. He can't go jumping on the kid or he'll knock her over." Grimmjow said with a frown and Ichigo nodded. That was all too true. "Hey Tigre, you want to train your dog?" The little boy nodded with a laugh.

"Sure! I love playing with pup." Tigre said confidently. "I'll teach him in no time!" He boasted, but it was likely true. The puppy was a Doberman and they were noted for being easy to train. That was part of the reason they'd picked that breed. They also made great family pets and guard dogs, which suited Grimmjow just fine. The Espada laughed, ruffling his son's hair before taking little Tabby.

"Yeah, soon he'll be the best dog in the world, hey? Why don't you take him outside and get him started?" He said and Tigre laughed before grabbing a ball and tossing it out the back door. The puppy immediately ran after it, the little boy in hot pursuit. It was a blustery autumn day, soon to be winter, but the weather didn't bother them at all. Then the little girl woke with a piercing squall and both the new parents winced. "I see what Szayel means… what's wrong cub? You hungry or dirty?" He asked as he lifted her up and checked her diaper. "Dirty. You want this one?"

"Sure." Ichigo took little Tabitha with a smile. He really liked the name, although his reasons were slightly different than Grimmjow's. He just liked that it shortened into Tabby, with catlike connotations. Ichigo liked it because it reminded him of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit. The cat in the book had been Tabitha Twitchet. "Kurosaki Tabitha." That sounded a little odd. "Kurosaki Tabby." That sounded better, and it was no stranger than his own name. "Tigre and Tabby, heh." That was really cute. Then he looked up in surprise as he heard a crash from the back yard.

"Pup! No!" Ichigo looked out the window and laughed. The puppy had run into a lawn chair and was badly tangled up, now. Tigre was trying to free him, which wasn't made easier by the young dog's struggles. His actual name was Spiro, for no real reason, but Ichigo thought 'pup' was probably going to be his actual name. He already answered to it. He smiled as Yuzu and Grimm both went outside to see what was wrong. Grimmjow just laughed as Yuzu tried to help Tigre with the dog. They finally got him free and he whined a lot, looking for treats. He didn't get any, but he got a ball to chase. Ichigo made a note to get some books about dog training. He could read them with Tigre and they could train the puppy together. Tigre loved to read although math was more of a struggle for him.

He would master it though. His little boy was always willing to try.

* * *

Starrk snuffled, rubbing his nose as a cat perched carelessly on his shoulder. Lilinette kept trying to take over the space but the cat was easily winning that little contest. They took the scenic route to the police station, to shake off any watchers. It was likely unnecessary but better safe than sorry.

"Oh good, they're still here. I was worried we might have needed to move again." Finally Yoruichi abandoned her spot, to Lilinette's relief. She leapt down onto the floor, pausing to lick herself a bit. Apparently, it was a feline urge and impossible to resist. "Well! Let's get moving."

"Oi! You're the one who stopped." Lilinette protested but Yoruichi simply ignored her, bouncing out cheerfully. "Damned cat." His other half muttered and Starrk chuckled. Lilinette was definitely not a cat person, she found them annoying. Yoruichi might not be a real cat but she was hitting the same buttons.

"Ah, don't worry about it Lilinette." Circumstances were better this time so Starrk looked around, really taking in the Visored's hideout. It wasn't that nice. The police station had been utilitarian to begin with, then stripped when the Japanese government had moved in to salvage what was left. Looters had gotten to a lot of places but Starrk was reasonably sure this had been done by the government. They wouldn't have wanted the guns to fall into criminal hands. They had been thorough, though, and what had been left mostly consisted of peeling paint. The Visored had managed to scavenge all kinds of odds and ends, though, and Starrk smiled at the picture someone had put up to soften the hallway. "It's terrible. I could do better." He remarked, glancing it over. "I do enjoy the subject matter." He was always in favor of naked women. Then the Coyote winced as his other half slapped him on the back of his head.

"Oh come on Starrk, you haven't seen a naked woman in years!" Lilinette said with complete accuracy. Starrk grinned at her before patting her on the head.

"I have now." He said playfully and she sighed, jumping down off his shoulder and walking on her own… well, pausing to kick him along the way. "And technically, you are female. I see you naked all the time." He said as they continued following the cat.

"Oh I so don't count – oh hey, big guy!" Lilinette greeted Hachi. He smiled at the little girl. They got along quite well, for some reason, although the big man was wary of the more powerful Starrk. "How's it going?"

"Not too badly. How have things been with you?" He asked as Starrk slipped on by, still trailing Yoruichi. Hachi and Lilinette followed, chattering happily. The cat easily found the others. They were lounging around in a large room that had likely once been a conference centre. Now it had been repurposed with bean bag chairs and various other creature comforts. There was still a hole in the floor with a few wires poking out of it. Starrk assumed some kind of electronic fixture had been removed.

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon was the first to spot her and seemed very relieved to see the cat safe and sound. Starrk sneezed loudly before sniffing again and rubbing his nose. "Thank you Starrk-sama, for bringing her home safely." She bowed to him and he blinked, a bit taken aback by the formality.

"It was nothing. No one suspected a thing." Starrk suspected that was his reputation at work. Being the lazy Coyote really was useful. "I need to get going soon though. Did you get those glasses?" He said and Shinji grinned before producing the items. "Oh… god." Starrk sighed as he looked at them. They were the most hideous examples of bad taste he'd ever seen in his life. And living among the other arrancar, he'd seen some doozies. "Lili – oh." She'd darted past him and grabbed them out of Shinji's hands.

"Thanks!" Lilinette called before putting on the blue and green pair. The eye portions were shaped like stars and bedazzled with rhinestones. He wasn't entirely certain how she kept them in place with the shape of her mask fragment, but someone she managed it. "Oi, Starrk, stop it with the catbutt face!"

"I do not have a catbutt face!" He protested and there were chuckles around the room. Grimacing, Starrk reached into his pocket. "Where's Isshin? I have something for him."

"He's working on something with Kisuke, but I can go get him." Shinji volunteered and Starrk nodded, stealing a bean bag chair and collapsing into it with a yawn. He wasn't really that tired, but he was working on his acting. He studiously ignored the glaring Hyori… well, actually, he'd planned to. But Lilinette was sneaking up on her. He sighed and lifted his head.

"Lilinette, no." He said firmly and Hyori's head turned, spotting the girl heading towards her. That made his other half scowl.

"Aw, Starrk, you ruined it!" She complained and he just shook his head. "She deserves a good kicking!" There was a vengeful light in her remaining eye and Starrk couldn't help but smile. That was little Lily, for certain. He'd always been more baffled and hurt by the cruelties life had visited on him, but Lily had been angry.

"Perhaps, but we are guests here. Stop it." Starrk could feel the tension in the room and knew that the other Visored would defend their own. They might not approve of her actions but Hiyori was one of them. His little half humphed for a moment before coming over and deliberately flopping onto his belly, drawing a small 'oomph' from him. They lay like that for a moment before Starrk spoke. "Oh, did you want me to take those glasses?" Not hers, but the ones for Kinomi.

"Oh sure." She passed them over and he put them in his pocket, pulling out the other thing he'd brought at the same time. Starrk's timing was perfect. Just as he brought out the envelope, Kisuke and Isshin walked into the room.

"Coyote Starrk! It's such a pleasure to see you." Kisuke smiled and tipped his hat to him. Starrk nodded, abandoning his bean bag chair. Lilinette was more than willing to take his spot, spreading out on the warm fabric.

"It's a pleasure to see you, too." Starrk said, only half-meaning it. But he was very pleased to see Isshin. "These are for you. Lilinette took them, please forgive the photography." They weren't the best. Several people had regrettably had part of their heads cropped off, although Starrk had eliminated most of those photos. Isshin took the small packet with a frown before opening it. Then he stared and Starrk smiled to himself at the look on his face.

"These are…?" Kisuke looked over his shoulder curiously as Isshin began working through the photographs. Starrk knew what he would be seeing. One cold autumn day, they'd left his twins and little Tabitha with Juushiro and the nanny. Then they'd all gone to a local park to play. Everyone had come, all the children and the adults… well, except for Yammy and Byakuya. They'd both had duties elsewhere. But there were pictures of everyone else and Starrk glanced down as Isshin paused on one particular shot. It was Ichigo and Karin, both holding steaming mugs of something hot as they watched the children at play. Ichigo was smiling and looked very content to Starrk's eyes. Karin was frowning thoughtfully about something, her gaze far away. They were both wearing warm coats and knitted scarves and gloves in a white and black, checkerboard pattern.

The pictures continued and Isshin was finally able to really see his grandson. And not just that… he stopped dead on one picture, the one of a little girl resting in her crib. Lilinette had taken it before they'd departed for the park.

"This is..?" He asked and Starrk smiled at the shock and wonder on his face. Isshin could see the resemblance to Grimmjow. He'd been in several of the other pictures, playing with the children. And little Tabby was quite adorable, in her blue hand-me-down jumper and her downy little blanket.

"Her name is Kurosaki Tabitha, or Tabby for short. She was born just a week and a half ago." Starrk said quietly as Isshin reached up to rub his eyes. Hybrid or not, he was clearly deeply affected by the sight of his grandchildren. Starrk honestly wished he could stay, but…

"Those are for you and I do need to get going. Can't let anyone start to ask questions." It was probably a bit paranoid but better safe than sorry. "I should be back in a couple months and then I'll be stranded here for a while. The towers." He said by way of explanation and they both nodded. "Did you want me to come back sooner? I can always have Lilinette break her glasses." That made Isshin smile and Kisuke laugh softly.

"Maybe in a week or two? We're still coming up with a plan, but then Yoruichi could go back to Soul Society and hitch a ride home with you when you come to guard the towers." Kisuke said and Starrk nodded. That would work well.

"Aww." Lilinette complained, looking up from her spot on the bean bag chair. "I like these! Get me some new ones just like them!" She jumped up, smiling as she reached up to adjust her new glasses. Starrk could only sigh.

"You know, you should get a monocle." The Coyote said as he started out, his smaller half close behind. "It would go much better with your mask fragment."

"Aw, then I'd have to squint all the time! That would suck! I don't think…" Their voices trailed off as they vanished, leaving the police station the same way they'd come. Isshin was left looking at his new family photos as the Visored gave him space. Although soon enough, they would want to take a look.

Everyone loved looking at cute little babies.


	30. Smut and Punishments

In a dirty alley in the Rukongai, a grim scene was playing out.

An arrancar was standing watch for his companion – calling them friends would be a stretch – as he violently raped a lady of the night. When the first was done, it would be his turn.

Neither of them had any thought for their actions. If someone had told them what they were doing was wrong, they would have greeted the news with amusement, contempt and perhaps a bit of bafflement. And there would be some justification for that. This was one of the worst sections of the Rukongai. In this vile slum, the strong took what they wanted. To be safe, a woman needed a sword of her own and the will to use it, or a strong protector. This woman's protector hadn't been weak, exactly, but he'd known he was no match for two arrancar. He hadn't even tried. He'd left her behind without even a word.

Now she was theirs, to do with as they pleased, and if she was lucky she would survive. The second arrancar didn't spare any attention to his rutting companion, keeping his senses fully alert. He wasn't strong but he was a survivor, older than many hollows who were above him in strength. He had no interest in becoming a casualty statistic.

Experience, instincts and sharp senses conspired to save him. His eyes went wide as he caught just the faintest hint of a familiar reiatsu. Later, he would identify it as the musk of a vasto lorde, a scent he'd picked up just once before. That time he'd hidden and prayed the powerful one would pass him by. By some miracle, it had. This time he simply reacted to the horrible danger that was suddenly in the air, leaping away in a frantic burst of sonido. A flash of green bisected the air where he'd been standing and there was a hissed curse. But fortunately, another target was close at hand. The second numero only had time to jerk away and trip over his own pants before his throat was ripped out by bone white claws.

"How annoying." The female vasto lorde huffed a sigh as she looked at the body. She wasn't pleased that she'd lost one of the pair. If she had been alone she would have run him down easily, but right now she couldn't because –

"Mami? You made the kill?" That high little voice said and the fox hollow turned to her offspring, smiling behind her mask of bone. "You did! Can I have some?" The child politely begged and the vasto lorde laughed.

"Of course sweetling! It's all for you." She said fondly to her child, who immediately began to eat. There was a soft sound and she glanced towards the body in the alleyway. "Mph." Rin regarded the woman with an ambivalent feeling. She had experienced such things many, many times before she'd met Van. Every time she'd survived and grown stronger, avenging herself on the males who thought they could use her. Of course, she'd been strong, with the potential for vasto lorde. It was very different for this woman. She had no power and she never would. Right now she was trying to crawl away, her clothing a ripped up mess. Koneko noticed the feeble attempts, looking up from the kill.

"What's that mami? Is that good to eat?" She looked at the woman dubiously as she redoubled her efforts to get away. "She feels like she isn't even there." The young vasto lorde said uncertainly and Rin nodded.

"That's because she's a plus soul, sweety. They're only food for very weak hollows. We're too strong, she's nothing to us." That was nothing but the truth. They couldn't even take pleasure from her like the arrancar had. If a vasto lorde attempted to mate with a plus soul they would kill it, and quickly too. Koneko chewed on that thought for a moment before speaking again in a troubled tone.

"Then why were they bothering with her, mami? They were weaker than us but not that much, were they?" She asked and Rin sighed to herself. They hadn't given Koneko the sex talk yet. She was still very young. "Why is she bleeding like that mami?" Koneko was starting to sound worried. Rin gently ran a hand down her back, between her little wings.

"I'll explain it later, pup." She said comfortingly and Koneko looked up at her worriedly for a moment before taking her reassurance at face value and going back to her kill. Briefly, Rin considering slaying the woman to silence any potential rumors. Then she decided there was no point. It was nearly impossible to conceal themselves completely in the Rukongai and that wretched arrancar had escaped. He'd sensed _something_ , although he likely hadn't seen much. But whatever he knew, he would report. There was no need to kill this pathetic creature. By the time Koneko had eaten her fill, the woman had managed to stagger off. Rin finished what little was left before lifting her little girl in her arms.

"You can stalk the next one." She said encouragingly and Koneko giggled and nodded. She adored hunting practice and she was definitely in need of lessons. With all the turmoil in Hueco Mundo, neither of her parents had been able to spare much time for it. Rin knew that wasn't good, but this time of troubles would be over soon, one way or the other. Then they could devote all their time to their daughter… if they survived. Taking a deep breath, Rin leapt up onto a nearby roof. They would go find a nice, out of the way place for now, where Koneko could practice her flying. She needed to strengthen her wings. For a moment Rin wished she was back in Hueco Mundo, with Vandular by her side. But then she put the feeling out of mind.

Hueco Mundo was too dangerous now and with Aizen's arrancar, Soul Society provided decent hunting. They would remain here for now.

* * *

"You picked the wrong game today, shinigami." A dark voice spoke in his ear, rough velvet. Ichigo squirmed, trying to get free of that steely grip. But he couldn't. He was well and truly pinned beneath the arrancar bastard. "You know, when I was alive, I won money wrestling at fairs. My woman loved it, it made her hot. Does it make you hot, Ichigo?"

"Maybe… if I was watching, not pinned under you!" Ichigo grunted, still trying to get free. There was a chuckle above him and he finally gave up. "Alright, alright, you win. What do you want?" He growled. He'd been trying to top Grimmjow tonight and he'd tried making it a bet again. Grimm couldn't resist a challenge. How could he have known that Grimmjow would be a black belt in wrestling?

"Hmm, what do I want? Well… you know, it's that time of the month again." A warm tongue explored his throat for a moment, pulling a surprised gasp from his throat. "And Tabby might be loud, but she's a good sleeper." They were lucky in that. When Tabitha slept, she slept hard. She wasn't sleeping through the night yet but she typically woke them only once. That was pretty good compared to Tigre. "So I want to Claim you, but from the front this time." Ichigo caught his breath, a bit shocked by that request. He didn't need his hollow to tell him what it meant… Grimmjow was inviting a returned Claim. He really thought of them as mates. "First, though, I'd like to have sex in the bath. Underwater." He purred, releasing his grip and pulling away just enough that Ichigo could easily move. He did, turning around until he was facing the arrancar. The lust in those bright blue eyes…

"Underwater? We've never done that." Ichigo said, titillated but also a touch uncertain. How would that work, exactly? Wouldn't the lube wash away? He cleaned it off with water and soap all the time. Or did Grimmjow have some kind of plan?

"Well, not all the way. That would hurt." Grimmjow murmured before nibbling him right beneath his ear. Ichigo hissed before reaching up and putting his arms around those well-muscled shoulders, returning that attention with a love nip of his own. "But sex in the tub feels good, shinigami. Take my word for it."

"Uh huh." Ichigo muttered. Grimmjow's hands were straying and quickly working him to the point that he didn't care where they made out, as long as they did it soon. Like, within the next five minutes. "Then get the water started, you tease." He managed to growl and Grimmjow's warm chuckle was like music in his ears.

"Yeah." The Espada pulled himself away and Ichigo wasn't surprised to see he was aroused. Completely unconcerned about his saluting cock, Grimmjow went to the bathroom to start the water. Ichigo swallowed, watching his naked back and buttocks as he wondered who had suggested naked wrestling. Oh right, that had been him. What had he been thinking?

The water was running when Ichigo pulled himself and joined Grimmjow in the bathroom. The Espada's little friend had gone back down, but Ichigo was sure it would come back up soon enough. The bathtub was big, easily large enough for two people. It was a big part of the reason Grimm had picked this house in the first place.

When it was full of water they both climbed in. Ichigo's breath came quick with anticipation as Grimmjow straddled him, slowly rubbing their bodies together. The water… it was different. It slid across his balls like a velvety glove, caressing and gliding around him in ways that only a fluid could. And the water softened things as Grimmjow gripped his cock and began to stroke them together, causing the water to splash just a bit. Ichigo bit his lip, holding back a groan at that feeling. The feel of Grimm's hard length beside his, throbbing against him, it was always so damned good.

"Shit, Grimm." Ichigo breathed as he looked at the arrancar above him. Little droplets of sweat and water were beading on that broad chest, pooling on that ridged scar until they finally popped, sliding down and into the water. He looked up, meeting bright blue eyes. "You're amazing…" He said, breathing heavily as that pleasurable torment continued, that hand jerking him with slow, languid strokes. Over him, Grimmjow chuckled.

"First time you've ever said that…" Grimmjow said with a grin and Ichigo smiled back before gasping at a particularly deft stroke. "I must… be doing a good job, hey?" He purred and Ichigo groaned softly, gripping the edges of the tub with shaking hands.

"Sh-shit… unh…" Ichigo panted, struggling to hold himself back. His erection was throbbing now, impatient with him and demanding release. Grimmjow lowered his head and began lapping away drops of water from his chest, pausing to tease his nipples with a slightly scratchy tongue. "Grimm!" Ichigo pleaded breathlessly before a thumb went over his head, teasing his slit. That was too much and he suddenly came, his whole body shaking and his toes curling at the intensity of his release. Grimmjow growled, throwing his head back with a feral snarl as he came too. Ichigo felt the arrancar's cock pulsing beside his, releasing more cum into the bathwater.

They were both left panting and breathless in the aftermath and Ichigo swallowed before meeting that intense gaze again. Grimmjow just stared at him for a moment, as if he was memorizing him, then smiled. The arrancar lowered his head and they kissed, deeply and passionately. Then he slowly pulled back.

"That was fucking awesome, but the water's getting cold." He said and Ichigo blinked as he realized that was true. It wasn't cold yet, but it was definitely lukewarm. "Let's move this shit to the bed. I want to feel your insides, Ichigo." That sultry purr made his body try to stir. Ichigo scowled, more at himself than Grimmjow before shoving his chest.

"Well, you have to move first. I'm going nowhere fast like this." He said firmly and the arrancar laughed, pulling himself out of the tub. He grabbed a towel and started to dry himself off. Ichigo quickly followed his lead, sneaking quick peeks at that glorious body. Those rippling abs, that toned body… he really was gorgeous. Although Ichigo liked to think that he was just as good. In fact, Grimmjow had told him so, plenty of times. Would the arrancar lie? And just like that, he wanted to know.

"Grimm? Would you say I'm as handsome as you?" He suddenly asked and the arrancar paused, a bit taken aback by the question. Blue eyebrows arched for a moment then went down as he considered it.

"Hmmm… you know, that's kind of tough." He said after a moment and Ichigo swallowed, feeling vaguely hurt. Then he wondered why. Why would it matter if Grimm thought he was sexier? "Because we are both just that fucking awesome." That made him smile and laugh softly. That was definitely Grimmjow. "I'm a bit heavier built than you. A bit broader in the shoulders, slightly different body type. But is that a bad thing? Nah, it's just a thing." Grimmjow ran a thumb along his mask fragment then shrugged before hanging his towel up. "I'd say we're about even, but different types. And don't ever tell Aizen I said that or he might want to try you out." He said sourly and Ichigo winced at the thought. Pets were supposed to belong to the arrancar who Claimed them, and they didn't have to share unless they wanted to. But the pack leader could demand the use of a pet, if he cared to. So far Aizen hadn't done it, but he could.

"Don't mention him, please." Ichigo didn't want to think about the bastard who had destroyed Karakura town and given his family so much pain. Vaguely, he wondered how his father was holding up. Yoruichi hadn't given him much information, she'd just sucked it out of him like a sponge. Grimmjow grunted before grinning.

"Yeah, fuck that douchebag. Now…" Ichigo dropped his towel as big hands claimed his body, roving over his back and ass. Ichigo decided to be daring tonight and returned the favor, managing to give the Espada a squeeze to his derriere. "Oh shit do that again." Grimmjow's voice was full of lust and Ichigo obliged, fondling the arrancar like he'd been fondled, so many times. "Shit, I like that… come on, I want you so fucking bad." Ichigo nodded. He could tell easily, with the way Grimmjow's erect cock was pressed up against him. His own member wasn't doing badly either, aching with the need for more attention.

"Right." They finally got out of the bathroom and made it to the bed. Grimmjow clearly knew what he wanted, taking a seat on the bed and gripping his hips, drawing him up so he was straddling the arrancar's body. Ichigo gasped softly as big fingers, already wet with lube, found his opening and began preparing him. As those fingers worked at him Grimmjow began exploring his throat, slowly sucking and nipping the soft skin. Ichigo let his head fall back, giving the Espada more to work with. It all felt so amazingly good…

Of course, it was going to get better. Blue eyes met brown and Ichigo exhaled softly as that hot length breeched his entrance, sliding into him with a familiar burn. A burn that transmuted into glorious pleasure as a pulse of reiatsu invaded his body, finding and caressing his core. It was, by far, the best thing he'd ever felt in his life. Since he'd stopped hating it, every new Claim was a new best thing…

"Shit, the look on your face when I do this." Grimmjow's lust filled voice filled his ears as the arrancar gripped his hips and began thrusting. Each thrust pumped more power into his body, battering him with the insane pleasure that was being Claimed. "I love seeing it so fucking much. Best mate I could ever have found…" Mate. That word made Ichigo wrap his arms around those heavy shoulders, panting as he lowered his face to Grimmjow's throat. For one insane moment he wanted to bite, to leave his mark and put his reiatsu into the Espada. But he knew better and instead, he just enjoyed the pleasure coursing through him.

"Someday, Grimm, I'm going to return the Claim." Ichigo whispered into his ear, not caring that his voice had a slightly echoing tone. His hollow was coming to the surface, drawn by the intensity of the mating, but it didn't matter. "And when I do, I'm going to pump so much power into you, you'll think you're dying from the sheer pleasure of it." He promised and white teeth flashed, bone parted in a mocking grin.

"I can't wait." Grimmjow whispered back and Ichigo almost came right then. But he couldn't, his body was locked into the Claiming ritual and he wouldn't cum until Grimmjow drank back their combined reiatsu. That was how the Claim always went. And Grimmjow was in no hurry to end it, stretching out the pleasure until Ichigo was reduced to panting and moaning, his body covered in sweat.

"P-Please Grimm!" He begged as the pleasure rose to a fever pitch. It felt like he was on fire, like his bones were melting, he _needed_ this… and then sharp fangs finally tore at his throat, causing his whole world to explode. Brown eyes were wide and sightless as white hot pleasure exploded in his mind, echoed by the convulsions of his body, the hot spurts of cum that shot from his spasming cock. Ichigo was vaguely aware of Grimmjow cumming inside him, the arrancar arching with a grunt of deep pleasure and satisfaction. But most of his mind was concentrated on his own feeling of ecstasy.

Then it was over and Ichigo gripped Grimmjow's shoulders, struggling to stay awake. The arrancar was panting heavily but managed to ease his spent mate off his softening cock, onto the bed. Ichigo was nearly unconscious as a blanket was pulled up, over his shoulders. But he was aware of it when a warm body spooned up against his back, molding to him with the ease of long practice.

Ichigo was just beginning to drop off when Tabby screamed. It sounded like she was being killed and the two parents both started violently, shocked out of their exhausted daze. Grimmjow grumbled as Ichigo tried to get his pulse back down. She was fine, he knew she was fine, she just had a very piercing way of waking them…

"Ugh… I'll get this one. You go back to sleep." That order was Claim enforced and Ichigo smiled before letting sleep carry him away.

He loved it when Grimmjow took care of him like this.

* * *

Starrk chewed on his thumbnail, feeling a tremendous amount of anxiety as he looked at the hell butterfly sitting on his knee.

He was at home with his two little children. He wanted to enjoy them both, wanted to play with them, hold them and savor their new baby smell. But he couldn't. He couldn't because he could sense Juushiro's emotional turmoil through the Claim. It wasn't good and it had been getting steadily worse for the past half-hour. And now he had an insect on his knee, waiting for him to take his message. Sighing, Starrk finally out and touched the black butterfly, triggering the message.

_Please report to the Palace immediately, Primera. Aizen-kami requires your presence._ Starrk swallowed. That was a 'get here yesterday' message, the only kind that had really stirred him before. Speaking a quick acknowledgement, Starrk got to his feet. He hesitated a moment before deciding not to take Lilinette with him. If it came to force, he was a dead man anyway.

"Lilinette, stay here and watch the children. I'll be back soon." He said and his other half was too distracted with fun and games to do more than nod. Wishing he could enjoy such playful innocence, the Primera took off in a burst of sonido. Whatever was wrong with Juushiro had to be connected to this summons. But what could it be? Ukitake was usually the more prudent of his pets. Although sometimes, his emotions could get the better of him and lead him to foolishness…

Starrk was still contemplating that as he arrived at the palace. A bowing servant immediately showed him to kami's throne room. To Starrk's distress, Juushiro was kneeling on the floor before the throne. He was unhurt but there were unshed tears in his eyes and a desperately pleading note to his voice as he spoke.

"Please, Aizen-kami, I am begging you. It's the start of winter and they have nowhere to go! Please, don't do this." Starrk swallowed as took in the scene. Aizen was angry, it was singing in his reiatsu. Tosen and Gin were also there and Tosen seemed to be less than amused with Juushiro. Gin was just indifferent to the whole thing, although he smiled as he saw Starrk. The Primera bowed, following shinigami courtesy.

"You required my presence, Aizen-sama?" He said softly and Juushiro's head turned in a surprised movement. The white haired taichou hadn't even noticed him coming in.

"Yes. Since you reminded me of hollow courtesies, I think it's your place to chastise your pet." Aizen said with a pleasant smile but the hairs on the back of Starrk's neck stood on end. Like most of the Espada, he was very familiar with Aizen-kami's moods. Of course, the knowledge hadn't always benefited him before… he'd often been too tired or distracted to notice, to his detriment. But he wasn't tired or distracted now and something wasn't right. He'd never felt that Aizen was so… on edge. Was the frustration getting to him?

_He's the captain of a rapidly sinking ship. Why wouldn't it be?_ Starrk accepted the whip from Gin as he quietly ordered Juushiro to remove his shirt. He tried to look sleepy and uninterested but his mind was working very, very quickly. He could almost taste Aizen's need to punish _someone_. It made his heart sink because he knew what he had to do.

"How many?" He asked as Juushiro looked at the ground. He could taste his pet's emotional pain, feel his new emotion… guilt that his actions had forced the Coyote to do this. Starrk wanted to pet his hair and tell him it was fine, he understood, but he couldn't do that in front of Aizen.

"Until I tell you to stop." Aizen said and Starrk swallowed. That was… not good. Taking a deep breath, he began the punishment.

Starrk made the strokes firm and even. He knew he didn't dare slack, didn't dare make the blows light. Aizen wanted to punish someone and if he failed to do this properly, Aizen would take over the job before punishing him as well. In fact, that was likely why he'd been called. Aizen was counting on the kind-hearted Coyote giving him an excuse…

Blood began to drip on the floor and Starrk's stroke faltered. Then he continued as he felt the dangerous flare of Aizen's reiatsu. Just when he was getting very worried about Juushiro's health – he was still very sick – Aizen finally called an end to it.

"Very good, Starrk." Aizen seemed somewhat satisfied by what he'd witnessed. "You seem to be more awake than usual today." He commented as Gin took the whip. Starrk desperately wanted to take his trembling pet in his arms but he knew better than to show his weakness like that. "I really thought I would be whipping you along with Juushiro." That made his mate look up in surprise and Starrk sighed to himself. Now Juushiro would feel even worse about this, which was likely Aizen's intention. "Take him home and remind him that I do not want to be disturbed with such petty garbage." That sounded very dangerous and Starrk bowed again.

"I will, Aizen-kami." He murmured before retrieving Juushiro's shirt and very gently helping him up. "Am I permitted to take him to Orihime, Aizen-kami?" He asked. Normally they weren't, when the wounds were from one of Aizen's punishments. And when he did it himself, he made certain of that by poisoning the wounds with his reiatsu. Orihime had difficulty cutting through that interference. Aizen shook his head.

"No. But take him to Unohana for basic healing." That meant no kido and Starrk winced to himself. Juushiro was going to be in pain for some time. At least they would be able to erase the scars, when the healing was done. That was merely cosmetic and Aizen wouldn't care. "You may take him to Orihime if there is a complication." That was a slight concession to Juushiro's illness and Starrk bowed his head.

"Yes, Aizen-kami." He said before taking Juushiro out. As soon as they were out of sight he picked up the taichou, putting him over his shoulder. That method of carrying would not aggravate his back. Then he launched into sonido, going to the Fourth Division.

Unohana saw to them personally. She didn't bother to ask what had happened. She certainly knew who was to blame… Starrk did not normally whip his pets. And she didn't need to ask, Starrk did it for her, talking to his pet as the healing began.

"What happened? What were you asking Aizen for?" He'd heard part of the conversation and it confused him. Who had nowhere to go?

"One of my shinigami. He's not powerful, no one important, but he has a family." Juushiro answered, his face tight with pain. That eased a bit as Unohana gave him an injection. She might not be allowed to use kido on him but she could still give him painkillers. "A little girl was born just a week ago. They've been living in subsidized housing, provided by the Division." Starrk sighed to himself. He knew where this was going. He even had an idea what had prompted it, Grimmjow had been complaining to him just yesterday. "They're being forced to leave! There's no place to put them… except some houses near the arrancar Divisions, but that would be terrible… I don't know what to do. Why is Tosen doing this?" He sounded ready to cry and Starrk decided he needed to know the truth of the matter.

"Grimmjow requested a larger allowance from Tosen so he could put his current house for sale and acquire a larger one. Apparently, Renji is getting reasonably serious with a very nice woman." That was a minor miracle, in Grimmjow's opinion, and Starrk agreed. She had to be quite accommodating. "He planned to give Renji some of his money every month so he could take a smaller unit in the same area. He had a very good plan of where he would go." It would have been a cheaper neighborhood than Grimmjow's current one, with a more mixed set of houses and a decent number for sale. "Tosen had a better plan… he decided it would make more sense to demolish several houses close to the units and rebuilt them to suit the Sexta and his expanded household." That would place Renji and his woman very close to Grimmjow but also give him privacy. It was actually a very good plan, in a lot of ways, although Grimmjow would basically be going from owning to renting. Starrk wondered what he would do with his old house now. Would he still sell it? Perhaps he would rent it out. "Tosen wants Grimmjow in a more convenient location." Convenient for giving Grimmjow work. The Sexta Espada had complained about it quite a bit, actually. He'd liked having some distance between his home and his superiors.

"…Oh." Juushiro said quietly as he absorbed that. "But why did it have to be done right now? If he'd just given us some time… given them time to save up a deposit…" He asked and Starrk sighed.

"Tosen is like that, when he wants to do something he does it immediately. And I suppose he might be hoping to get the work done before the snow flies." Depending on what he was doing with the existing homes, it might be possible. Soul Society had some builders who used kido, too. They were expensive but they worked very, very quickly. "We'll find a way to make it work." He said before gently petting Juushiro's hair. "If necessary, they can stay near the arrancar units and I'll mark them as mine. I can even leave Lilinette with them." He couldn't stay with them himself, obviously. But Lilinette would be able to stay with them safely and act as an alarm, calling him if there was a problem. Juushiro looked up, surprised, then winced in pain as that aggravated his back. Unohana was still stitching up the battered flesh.

"That makes it impossible for you to release." He said and Starrk nodded with a sigh. That was always the danger of leaving Lilinette somewhere else. He was the stronger half, but without his little fraccion he wasn't whole. "Would the amulets be enough?" Starrk considered it and shook his head.

"No. I'm too lazy." He said honestly and Juushiro managed a smile. They both knew he wasn't now, but the numeros didn't. Being the lazy Coyote had disadvantages, too. "Maybe I can get Grimmjow to help. He's very territorial." Despite being less powerful than the Primera, his tokens would be a bit more respected. Mia and her family never had problems, but they weren't shoved in the Numeros faces, either. This shinigami family would be far too close for comfort. Juushiro nodded with a sigh. He clearly didn't like this solution but leaving a young family homeless in the teeth of winter wasn't acceptable, either.

"We can think about it. I shouldn't have just gone to Aizen like that. I was just so shocked…" Juushiro closed his eyes as Starrk nodded sadly. That was how Ukitake would get in trouble, letting his compassion get the better of him. He stayed, keeping his pet company as Unohana took care of his lacerated back.

Somehow, he would make this work for Juushiro. He wasn't sure how, just yet, but he would.


	31. The Case of the Missing Painting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: If anyone's upset about how much time I'm giving Starrk, I'm sorry but wow, he's suddenly turned into a really cool character. I might have to write a fic about him... maybe Grimm/Starrk...?

"Oi." Grimmjow glared viciously at a watching numero. The girl took the hint and made herself scarce. "If you have any problems let me know, yah?" Not that he really wanted to be protecting this shinigami family. They were nothing at all to him. But Starrk had asked and honestly, he liked the Primera. It was always worth getting on his good side, especially since he seemed to be paying more attention to things lately.

"Yes Grimmjow-sama." The man said submissively, but he could hear the resentment in his voice. Well, who wouldn't be resentful? He'd been kicked out of his home with three kids and a wife. His woman didn't work, either. How could she with so many brats to take care of? That along with the house was a full time job. Grimmjow remembered that vividly.

"Good. Fuck, I should have kept my mouth shut." He muttered to himself as he turned away. The taichou with him gave him a wan smile.

"There was no way you could have known." Juushiro said and Grimmjow sighed before nodding. He'd had a really great plan, in his head. Winter wasn't the best time to house hunt – fewer options – but the sellers were usually really motivated. He'd found a decent neighborhood with openings. It was definitely a huge cut below his current neighborhood… basically going from the ritzy part of town to the working class section. But he honestly didn't give a damn about that and Renji could have afforded a little place there, with his woman's salary to help. There was no way in hell Grimmjow could have gotten him enough money to buy a place in his current neighborhood. Back when things were new and unsettled he could have just murdered a family and gotten his pet a place that way, but they were all trying to get away from that. And anyway, it pissed off the neighbors.

Tosen's plan would actually cost him a lot less than his original plan. Grimmjow knew that. He'd be able to rent out his current place, pay both the subsidized rates and make a solid profit. Of course, the price of that was being under Tosen's thumb. Grimmjow growled to himself before using sonido to head off. He needed to go pick something up.

'Something' was Katapira. Miyaki greeted him with a happy smile and an already bundled up girl, which helped soothe his temper. Holding that cute little kid helped too, and he carried her home before gathering up Tigre. He was happy to go. It was hunting practice time. Grimmjow honestly wondered if they'd ever really need these skills. But it was too important for a hollow for him to even consider neglecting it.

"You have a sister now?" Kata whispered as they hunted in the woods. Grimmjow thought about hushing her but there was nothing good within sensing distance and the subject was near and dear to his heart. Piercing screams aside, Tabitha was a damned fine little kitten.

"Yeah, she's really loud and she doesn't do anything." Tigre sounded faintly disgusted and Grimmjow grinned. Yes, that would be how a little boy felt about a new baby. "She's cute and cuddly, though. Papi says I can teach her to hunt someday." Tigre sounded like he was looking forward to it.

"Ooooh." Kata was silent for a moment. "I wish I had a sister." That was a whisper and Grimmjow winced. "But Yammy-papi would be mean to her."

"Hush. There's prey nearby. Use your senses." Grimmjow instructed and the two children went silent. As they stalked their prey, he glanced at little Katapira.

He and Ulquiorra had both taken over teaching her to hunt. It was definitely a burden on them. Their boys were both older and could go faster and take larger prey than little Kata. But since Yammy had no parenting skills to speak of – he was clearly the 'rape a female and let her deal with it' type – it was better this way. Grimmjow was taking her twice a week while Ulquiorra also took her twice. Once a week, Yammy still took her out to 'see her skills'. So far she'd been doing well enough to keep the bastard satisfied, although he sneered at her tiny kills.

_But why the hell does the girl need a deer? Shit, she couldn't even eat it!_ She was only a little girl, hardly looked more than four. It was amazing how she could catch mice, but Yammy had been pushing her hard to get bigger prey. Grimmjow thought that was stupid. Mice was all she needed. Maybe a rabbit if she was getting ambitious.

They did manage to bring down a deer today, but that was because it was sick. Too sick… Grimmjow growled to himself as he sniffed the corpse. It smelled rotten, some kind of nasty infection that had gotten into the meat. Such things were incredibly rare in Hueco Mundo but they did happen and he would have rejected such a corpse unless he was starving. Even if he was starving, Grimmjow knew he would probably have just gnawed on the edges, taking sustenance from the parts least affected.

"It smells bad Grimm-papi. What's wrong with it? It was awfully slow." Tigre said uncertainly and Grimmjow nodded with a grimace.

"It was sick, too sick to eat. We'll leave it for the bugs." Even in winter the corpse would rot. And maybe a scavenger with an iron stomach would be willing to take it on.

"But I can tell Yammy-papi I caught a deer!" Kata's face was radiant with happiness but Grimmjow had a few misgivings.

"Eh, be careful with that. He might expect you to do it again." He cautioned and the little girl's eyes went wide before a thumb slipped into her mouth at the thought. "Tell him you helped us catch it." That would keep Yammy's expectations lower. Ulquiorra had ragged on him pretty good for thinking a girl Kata's size could catch something as big as a deer, he didn't want the galoot to start thinking she could do it. Kata nodded, her grey eyes very serious.

"Yes Grimm-papi." She said and Grimmjow blinked, wondering when he'd given her permission to call him that. Then he shrugged to himself. She was probably just mimicking Tigre, little kids did that all the time. "I'm hungry." She said and he nodded.

"Yeah, it's about time for supper. You want to eat here?" He asked and Kata nodded enthusiastically. She loved Yuzu's cooking and especially loved how she could always get seconds. Even when Yammy wasn't upset with her, the Kuchiki clan wasn't too keen on seconds. Apparently little girls weren't supposed to have such hearty appetites. Grimmjow could sort of see the point – Kata was a bit heavyset – but she was growing. As active as she was, he was sure she'd grow into it well. Szayel didn't think there were any problems with her size and weight, which should be enough for anyone. "And can I play with your puppy?" She asked Tigre, who grinned.

"Sure you can!" He said and that made Grimmjow smile to himself. Sometimes, Tigre looked at Kata as a nuisance. She was younger and slower so she did make things hard sometimes. But sometimes he liked having her, enjoyed playing with her. She was old enough to be fun, unlike little Tabitha. "I've been teaching him tricks! He has a really special one I can't wait to show you."

"Oooh, what is it?" Kata asked but Tigre refused to tell her. He did tell her about roll over, drop dead and 'stick fetch'. Grimmjow was starting to wonder about this 'special trick'. What could it be?

He found out when he got home. Ichigo was sitting on the couch with Tabby in his lap, reading a book as the baby slept. Grimmjow watched curiously as Tigre gripped the pups' collar, holding him in place. The dog was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Fetch baby pup! Fetch baby!" Tigre said before letting go of the collar. Grimmjow blinked in shock as the dog ran right up to Ichigo and snatched Tabitha off his lap, grabbing her by the back of her jumper. Ichigo yelped and he expected the baby to wake up with a scream, but she didn't. No, she just slept as the Doberman ran up, presenting them with a sleeping baby hanging from his mouth. Kata stared before laughing with delight. Grimmjow just stared for a moment before grinning.

"Yuzu! Ichigo! Where's the fucking camera?!" He wasn't sure how Tabby wasn't waking up – didn't that hurt? – but he wasn't going to question it. It was cute as hell, that little baby hanging from the dog's grip on her jumper. Yuzu quickly handed him the camera and he snapped a really good shot before the dog got distracted and let go. Fortunately, Ichigo caught the baby before she could hit the floor. He was looking completely frazzled, too.

"Grimmjow, don't encourage them! How could she have slept through that?" He asked, perplexed and Grimmjow shrugged. Then he suddenly blinked as something occurred to him.

"Y'know, maybe she didn't really feel the pressure." He said slowly, looking at his daughter in Ichigo's arms. That position should have put huge pressure on her neck, but if she hadn't felt it that meant… "She's got hierro." He was suddenly sure of it and Grimmjow smiled slowly, feeling proud. If he was right, his little girl was the first of the babies to have real hierro so young. Shimonami's hierro was starting to come in but all the others were largely bereft. "We'll have to get Szayel to check her out." He had these little caliper things that would exert pressure without hurting. Ichigo looked down at the sleeping Tabitha for a moment before shaking his head. Then he noticed what the kids were doing.

"Tigre, Kata, can you take him outside?" They were playing fetch with the puppy and there really wasn't enough space in the house. All three of them quickly ran outside, giggling. "Kids… did I ever have that much energy?" He asked and Grimmjow laughed.

"Tch, how old are you anyway shinigami? Twenty-two? You're too young to be saying shit like that! Now me, I'm a fucking old fart." He said sincerely and grinned as Ichigo's eyes widened. "I must be, hmm… when were guns invented? They were just fucking flintlocks…" How old was he, anyway? He didn't really have a clue.

"You know, I was only sixteen when you Claimed me. Cradle robber." Ichigo said and Grimmjow blinked. He'd never thought of that at all. Of course, hollows largely judged maturity on power and Ichigo's power had been through the roof. Calling someone like that a child was a huge stretch. Then the tone reached him and blue eyes met smoldering brown. Grimmjow desperately wished he could jump his mate then and there, but the kids were playing and Tabby was starting to stir. Instead, he cupped Ichigo's face, running a thumb over his jaw.

"I'll show you cradle robbing later, Ichigo." He breathed before pulling his lover into a slow, passionate kiss. Then Tabitha squalled and they both flinched. "Oi! Shit, you need to grow out of that brat." He said to her severely as Ichigo comforted her. She just continued to cry, the same piercing wail. "She's probably hungry." It had been a while since her last feeding. Ichigo nodded as he checked her diaper.

"She's dirty too. I'll get her cleaned up while you get the milk ready." He said and Grimmjow nodded. Anything to get that sound to stop. Of course, that was the point of a baby crying… the parents would do anything to get the sound to stop. Tabby was in a league of her own, though. But then, she slept through most of the night. Grimmjow considered it a wash. He quickly got the milk ready as Ichigo took care of the diapering. Soon Tabitha had a nipple in her mouth and forgot all about crying, to their relief. Grimmjow put an arm around Ichigo's shoulders as he fed the child, watching them both with a soft smile.

He loved his family and he'd do anything to keep them safe.

* * *

Starrk smiled as he put the final touches on his painting. After writing his name in the corner he paused, just looking at the gorgeous view he'd finished committing to the canvass.

It really was beautiful. He was on a hill in the Rukongai. The hill overlooked one of the worst slums, but it was dawn. He was trying to capture the light as it illuminated the cityscape, the places the poor people lived. From this vantage, it was hard to see the squalor. No, it was beautiful. Starrk sighed to himself, wishing the beauty was more than just an illusion. But that was the way of the world.

"Hey, mister?" Starrk turned, surprised. He was rarely if ever randomly approached… but then, right now he was wearing civilian clothes and winter ones besides. It was chilly in the morning and while hierro protected him, he simply liked the feel of wool on his skin. They hid his hollow hole and the scarf around his neck took care of his mask fragment. "Would you like to buy something?" The person accosting him was just a child, to Starrk's eyes. Perhaps twelve? Although that could be considered adult in the Rukongai. People grew up fast, there.

"Um… possibly." Starrk said, a touch bewildered. He had a bit of money on him and unlike Grimmjow, he really didn't have to worry about budgeting. Which was good, he was awful at math. "Do you have any cheese?" He could do with a bit of cheese. Something sharp and extremely salty, with crystals in it… although that was likely too much to hope for from a random boy. Still, even a bit of wax coated cheddar, the kind they sold in most stores, would be nice. The boy stepped back and Starrk stepped forward, following the unspoken prompt without thought. It was an instinctive need to maintain the proper conversational distance.

"OW!" The pain to the back of his neck was mild but unexpected and Starrk registered the usual complaint. "Lili… nette…?" He had automatically turned to admonish his fraccion but instead of a little girl with heavy boots, he saw a stranger staring at his broken sword. "Um…" Starrk glanced from the man to the bits of metal on the ground. It had shattered on contact with his hierro.

"It's an arrancar! Run!" The boy screamed and suddenly the two of them were running away. Starrk rubbed the back of his neck, just watching them go. They'd tried to chop his head off?

"Crime is rather nasty around here." He said to himself before shrugging and looking back out at the sunrise. The light was getting much stronger, it really was gorgeous. He savored it for a moment before wishing he could share it with Lilinette.

"Oi, Starrk!" Starrk smiled as his other half suddenly landed on his back. What perfect timing. "We missed you at breakfast. Did you come home at all?" She complained and Starrk laughed before nodding.

"Just for a moment, to get my paints." He said easily and Lilinette sighed at him. "Ah, don't give me that huff! I'll go home, go to sleep and be awake when my pets are home." That was how his schedule was these days. With less need for sleep he would wake up in the late afternoon, well before supper. That gave him plenty of time to be with Juushiro, Shunsui and the twins before he had to depart for his work. Sleeping in the day didn't bother him at all. Hollows were creatures of night.

"Well, where's that painting you're working on then?" Lilinette asked and Starrk looked at his easel. To his absolute shock, the painting was gone.

"What… they took it?" His mind reeled a bit as he went over the little altercation again. The boy, he had been facing away from the boy. Had he grabbed it when the Coyote was distracted? "…" He regarded the empty easel mournfully, then sighed. "It's gone." He couldn't get it back. It had vanished into the Rukongai, like so many things.

"What? What happened?" Lilinette asked and Starrk sighed again before explaining about the distracting boy and the man with the sword. "Oi! You should have killed them Starrk! You're too nice." She groused and he nodded.

"I really should have." He agreed. Lilinette was bloodthirsty but also right. They'd tried to murder him in cold blood, those two, and if he'd been the dazed artist he appeared to be he would have died. Of course, the boy might not be entirely responsible. Who was that older man to him? Father, perhaps? "Quite a trade to teach to a son." He whispered to himself before shaking his head. "Ah well. I'll make another. And I'm a little flattered they thought it good enough to steal." He said lightly. Starrk had never sold a painting before. It was interesting to think that this one might change hands. Lilinette blew a raspberry at him.

"More likely they're just going to toss it into the river to spite you!" She said and Starrk winced.

"Oh Lilinette, don't say that." The thought of all his hard work being ruined that way… it was hurtful. "This is the Rukongai, they sell everything." He really didn't think the thieves would ruin the canvass out of hand without seeing if they could make a bit of money on it. Lilinette shrugged.

"Eh, maybe. Did you want to watch the sun rise?" She said and Starrk smiled at the suggestion. Retrieving his empty easel, he took it with him as they sat down on the browning grass. The wind nipped at his clothing, tugging on his scarf. Fortunately the blow from the sword had missed it, the Coyote quite liked his scarf. Which reminded him.

"You know, you should get some new clothing." He said as he tucked little Lilynette against his side. She snuggled there easily, enjoying the close contact with her other half. "Especially in winter. It's quite unnatural, seeing you dressed like that." Now that he remembered it honestly bothered him, seeing so much bare skin on so cold a day. Lilinette laughed and punched him lightly in the side.

"At least no can mistake me for a confused plus!" She said cheerfully and Starrk nodded with a rueful smile. It was too true, he'd been mistaken for that more than once. The effects of his dreadful reiatsu took a little while to manifest themselves, somewhere between fifteen minutes to a half-hour. When they did manifest, though, anyone with low reiatsu usually fled. The feeling of his power weighing them down, threatening to devour them, was not the least bit pleasant. "Although, you know, no one could miss that I'm an arrancar anyway. So sure, why not? Just no dresses. I'm not a dress girl." She said firmly and Starrk laughed softly.

"I know, I remember." It felt good to say that. Despite the pain of remembering, he knew so many things now that he'd forgotten. Lily had always hated dresses because her step-father had so admired her in them and her mother had forced her to wear them. "Some nice trousers and a warm shirt, with a big fluffy coat. You'll love it." He said as he hugged her gently. She just nodded and he glanced down, seeing that she was gazing at the sunrise pensively.

"You know, Starrk, I'm kind of glad you remember. You're more yourself and now I can talk to you about things." She said and he nodded, feeling slightly pained. Lilinette must have felt a bit alone, the only one who could remember their shared past. "You know… I kind of regret it now." She said softly and he frowned, waiting to hear what she regretted. "That stupid shinigami, the one who tried to give us konso. What would have happened if we'd done it? This place isn't heaven but it's not bad. And then I could have grown up." She said sadly and Starrk felt a deep sorrow at the thought. Lilinette was a child now and she always would be. He gently cuddled her.

"You would have been a lovely woman." He said softly. Starrk could remember her so well, little Lily. With her golden curls and big blue eyes, she'd been a gorgeous child. She would have been a stunning woman.

"Yeah. And then, maybe, I could've been with you." That made his breath catch in surprise. Starrk looked down, meeting her gaze as she looked up.

"Lily. I… never thought of you that way." He said, shocked and a little dazed. She'd been like his little sister, better by far than any of his real siblings. She just gave him an urchin grin.

"'Course you didn't! You're not a kid fucker like my step-dad. But when I wasn't a kid anymore, maybe you would have. I was always kinda wistful about that, y'know? I liked you so much Lupe." Starrk's eyes misted over a little at the use of his old name. "You had your flaws – head in the clouds, that was you – but you were the best guy I ever met."

"Mmm." For a moment, he contemplated what could have been. If they'd come to Soul Society, he would have become a shinigami. Starrk was certain of that… he'd known his own power, he would have sought them out in an effort to make a secure place for little Lily. And then? "But if we'd come here instead of Hueco Mundo, Aizen would still have made his move. And then, what if the shinigami still lost? I could be enslaved to Yammy." He said after a moment's thought and Lilinette suddenly gagged, gripping her head.

"Ew! Gross! Bad thoughts Starrk, bad thoughts! Don't do that to me!" She pleaded and Starrk grinned. "And I was catching power off you so I might have been Nnoitra's toy… yuck. But what if we'd won?" She asked and Starrk blinked at the thought. "You're like Aizen and that Kurosaki guy. Maybe you could've helped them win! Aizen wouldn't have had you." Lilinette said confidently and Starrk had to admit she had a point. But…

"He would have known me and planned for me. Aizen is good at that… but can you imagine if we had? Lupe and Lily, the saviors of Soul Society." He teased her gently and she laughed. "But don't let Aizen hear that." Their great and esteemed leader would not take kindly to such speculations. Lilinette made a face and nodded.

"Yeah, he's getting scarier. Come on Starrk, let's go home. You need to get to sleep and I want to take a nap." Lilinette said firmly before hopping to her feet. Starrk nodded and stood, gathering up his easel as Lilinette grabbed his shoulder and climbed onto his back. It was so much easier for them to travel that way, he was faster than his little fraccion. And it was definitely time to go to bed.

He didn't need as much sleep as he had before, but he definitely needed some.

* * *

"Hmmph." The old man harrumphed as he looked over the piece of art on his table with a critical eye. "Hrmph." The two thieves in front of him watched, the older with a scowl and the younger anxiously. He had no doubt they were thieves but he didn't much care. This was a better section of the Rukongai but no one questioned things like that.

The old man made his living running a little pawn shop. He bought and sold with a particular eye towards artwork. Items moved between the Rukongai and the Seireitei and the Rukongai was ancient. There had been better times, treasures lost over the years. It was rare but sometimes true items of value were unearthed and this man knew where to find a buyer. It was his specialty.

What he was dealing with now wasn't a treasure. He looked over the painting thoughtfully. It was clearly freshly done, the colors nice and sharp. The brush work was far from perfect and to his experienced eye, it was the work of an amateur. But the person who'd painted it had been talented. The subject matter was nicely picked and the sunlight had been well done. A lot of his clients wouldn't give a damn about brushwork and this painting had a spark to it, a feeling of life. Some moderately prosperous family would like it on their living room wall. He didn't let any of that show in his face though. He'd start beating these two down on price without even a word.

"How much d'you want for it?" He demanded and the older thief spoke up.

"Ten thousand yen." He said, which made the old man sneer. What a ridiculous idea!

"You out of your mind, boy? I give you a thousand." That made the other man scream in disbelief. They kept dickering back and forth as the old man occasionally examined the painting, looking for minute flaws. Then he frowned as he spotted something in the corner. He hadn't noticed at first, the artist had used white and at first it had looked like nothing but a bit of the landscape. "…Where did you get this?" He asked, suddenly suspicious. Normally he wouldn't care but that name… the man across from him scowled.

"What do you care, old man?" He demanded and the shopkeeper just scowled back before pointing at the signature with a finger.

"I care because someone signed this Coyote Starrk." He growled and the man across from him just looked confused as the boy bit his lip. Neither of them understood the problem. "You steal this from an arrancar?"

"So what if we did. He was just a fucking painter!" The older man spat and the old man closed his eyes in mental pain.

"You're as stupid as you are damned. But just so you know before you die, that 'painter' was the Primera Espada." The old man said and the older thief looked disbelieving as the younger looked sick. "He's the most powerful of them all and you stole his fucking painting! You dumb bastards, why should I pay you a penny for this?!" He actually did want it but now he was going to get it much, much cheaper. He could get these two into a lot of trouble, if he wanted to.

"Bullshit! You're making this up to get out of paying us." The older thief said and the old man sneered.

"Am I? Miko!" He called for his daughter. She was in the back tidying things up. She stuck her head through the door, giving him an inquiring look. "You ever heard of Coyote Starrk?" She hesitated a moment before responding.

"Yes… he's that Espada, the one with the little girl following him around all the time." She said and the old man gave the two thieves a sneer. The younger one was really looking scared but the older was still being dumb and obstinate. Well, sort of.

"Fuck! I don't want the damned thing. Can you just give me a sword? I broke my last one on that fucker's neck." He growled and the old man's opinion of him dropped to new lows. He'd actually assaulted the Espada? It was a miracle he was alive. But the old man had some crappy swords lying about. Weapons changed hands frequently, in the Rukongai. Soon he got rid of them and looked at his new acquisition in satisfaction. As soon as he had a few more pieces, he'd make a trip to the Seireitei and see if the Espada wanted it back. The old man was willing to bet he would. It was the kind of work a talented amateur would be proud of. Not that he'd demand money for it, but there might be a reward.

If not, he'd have lost nothing but a bit of time.

* * *

"You're joking." Starrk looked at the cat on his knee with disbelief verging on horror. Had she just said what she thought he'd said? "Please, please tell me you're not serious." He practically begged her. But Yoruichi just gave a cat shrug before licking herself.

"I assure you, I'm very serious. Apparently Halibel's fraccion gossips a lot about practically everything and Lisa is deep in their confidence after she, ahem, gave them a _very_ detailed description of Grimmjow's sexual prowess." Starrk flushed a little as his mind flashed back to the time Grimmjow had taken him. That had almost made him regret not trying for the Sexta, before they'd both become entangled with others. But he'd been wearing that reiatsu limiter at the time. He still didn't know if Grimmjow could really survive the full weight of his power. "So she told me all about all the female gossip. Most of it is only sort of interesting but I really thought you should know about this."

"Please, go over it again. Apacci wants to have Grimmjow's child?" Starrk asked, making sure he had it right. Yoruichi nodded.

"And she's taking fertility pills and timing her cycles to make sure she hits an optimum time." Yoruichi agreed and Starrk swallowed before continuing gamely.

"And she wants to experience Grimmjow's skills in person, so she's enlisted Gin to help arrange to have the Sexta 'punish' her for some imaginary crime?" Starrk thought it was a little insane but he had no trouble seeing Apacci hatching such a plan. She wasn't a bad girl, really. Just a typical adjuchas with more than a few screws loose. Regrettably, he could also picture Gin helping with it. He had no morals whatsoever and it would amuse him. Yoruichi nodded again. "Oh god. I'll have to warn him." Starrk groaned before putting a hand to his forehead in mental pain. This was so wrong. Grimmjow would NOT be amused about this little plot. Starrk wasn't sure what would offend him more, the forced fatherhood or being unfaithful to his mate for no real cause. Grimmjow didn't really relish his duties anymore, not the way he'd used to. Then the cat suddenly vanished and Starrk looked up as the door swung open.

"Starrk? There's a man at the gate who's asking to speak to you." Shunsui said and Starrk blinked in surprise. "He's not carrying anything explosive, we checked. He says he found something of yours." His mate sounded a bit bemused and Starrk frowned before suddenly brightening.

"My painting!" It had his name on it. He really hadn't expected it to come home, but what else could it be? He hadn't lost anything other than that. Suddenly eager, the Coyote got off his chair and went to see the man at the gate. Just as he'd suspected, he was carrying a wrapped something that was about the right shape and size. Lilinette was standing nearby, looking at him suspiciously.

"I had a man bring this to my shop. I was hoping their might be a finder's fee?" The old man said before offering the canvass to the Primera. He smiled as he pulled away the cloth and saw the painting he'd lost.

"Why, that's lovely. Starrk, you made that?" Shunsui asked and Starrk blushed, feeling like a boy again when his mother had fussed over his drawings. Although, she had stopped that as he became older and more serious about it.

"Yes, it's mine." He said, looking at the picture for a moment. Then he looked at the man who'd brought it. He was quite elderly but prosperous looking. "You own a shop? I don't suppose someone would want to buy it? I've always – OW! Lilinette?" His fraccion had just kicked him in the side and now she was glaring at him.

"Hey, don't you dare! We like it, right kimono-chan?" She said and Shunsui nodded with a laugh. "We'll get it framed and put it up!"

"Oh, it's not that good Lilinette. I've never had any lessons." Starrk protested. He thought he had talent, although he couldn't be sure of it. But he knew he wasn't really good, not yet. Probably never. Then the man cleared his throat and Starrk blinked at him.

"I'm an expert on such things. It's not bad. Many families would pay for it, to decorate a wall. It's not a masterpiece but it shows talent. Get some lessons and you could be very good." He said and Starrk felt warmed. He had talent? And that sounded like a fair assessment. Although, this man likely had other things to do than stand here and flatter him.

"Thank you very much. I might try to get lessons someday but my reiatsu… it's a problem." In fact, the man across from him was starting to register a bit of discomfort. "You're feeling it. Here, please take this." He pulled out a bit of money in his pocket, looking it over before offering the man ten thousand yen. That seemed like a good amount to him. The old man accepted it with a smile and a bow.

"If you ever want to sell your work, you can find me in the Rukongai. Masukato's Exotic Items." He said and Starrk nodded back. The thought of selling his work pleased him, not for the money but just for the ego gratification. And it would be so nice, to basically give the finger to his father. Juvenile, since the man was long dead, but he couldn't help but feel that way. The man left and they brought his painting back inside. Soon Shunsui and Lilinette were chatting about where to put it and Starrk listened with a smile.

He still doubted his own talent, but he had no doubt at all that his pack cared for him.


	32. For My Mate

Grimmjow growled as he stalked through the palace.

Starrk had warned him just yesterday about Apacci's plot and he was pissed. Sort of flattered, but pissed. The flattery came in from the fact that Apacci wanted his seed and wanted him in bed. Apparently Lisa had really liked that bondage stuff he'd done to her. Aizen must have known she was into it. Grimmjow was willing to bet he'd been wanking off to the footage, along with Gin.

What pissed him off, though, was exactly what Starrk had thought would piss him off. He was actually sort of trying to be faithful to Ichigo. Sort of because his duties occasionally called for him to use his cock, but that was, well, _work._ He didn't have any choice unless he wanted Aizen's boot up his ass. Gin was trying to abuse that, force him to do something he didn't really want to do.

"Bitch could have just asked for my help if she wants a kid so bad." He muttered to himself. He would have been willing to give Apacci his sperm, with a bit of Szayel's help. Why not? Halibel's pack raised the kids together, it was a damned fine nest. And as a related male, they'd let him near the cub. Blood counted for a lot with hollows. Although if sexual desires were factored out, Apacci could have gotten a better sire for her cub. Renji or Shunsui… they weren't related to any of the current kids, which would be better from a future mate perspective. With the lack of hybrids and doubtful prospects, that was important.

When he got to Gin, what he saw only pissed him off more. Apacci was tied up, just as he'd expected. Gin gave him his usual fox smile as he glowered.

"Grimm! I got a job for you – " He started but Grimmjow cut him off.

"No." He snarled and Gin stopped, actually opening his eyes a little. "I know what you're up to, a little birdie sang to me. I'm not touching the ugly bitch." That made Apacci's eyes flare wide and she suddenly screeched. She had a piercing screech, too.

"UGLY?! How dare you! When I get out of here I'm going to rip your cock off and shove it up your asshole!" She screamed and Gin winced, leaning away from the volume. Grimmjow roared right back.

"Oh yeah?! You try it whore! See how far you get without Halibel nursemaiding your sorry little ass!" He taunted her. Gin was beginning to look overwhelmed.

"Er, hey, keep it down right? Aizen's tryin' to sleep – " He said a touch desperately but the feuding arrancar ignored him. They were too busy with their private hate fest. "I'mma serious here, we're right under him – uh." Gin stopped as Aizen stepped into the room. Grimmjow and Apacci still didn't notice. They both had fiery tempers and they were feeding on each other, screaming insults back and forth.

They did notice when Aizen's angered reiatsu flooded the room. That made them both look at him, surprised and a little offended at having their argument interrupted. Offended died into fear for Apacci, though, and irritation for Grimmjow. He was an Espada and thought he was in the right here. He didn't fear Aizen, which was a crucial mistake.

"What is going on here?" He demanded and Gin rushed into the gap to explain.

"Well, see, I called Grimm here to help me but he's disobeyin' orders – " He started but Aizen cut him off with a gesture, looking at Grimmjow with a malevolent stare.

"Is that true, Sexta?" His mild tone clearly concealed something nasty but Grimmjow didn't believe in lying. He answered straightforwardly, without hesitation.

"Yeah, but that's because-" He never got to finish the sentence. Grimmjow had completely misread Aizen's mood, missed how furious he was to be disturbed by their little squabble. The fist that hit him in the jaw took him by complete surprise and the blow wasn't pulled at all. Bone snapped with a wet crack and Grimmjow hit the wall with enough force to send bits and pieces of stone flying. He went down in a heap, stunned and confused by the sudden turn of events. He tried to speak but found that he couldn't. His jaw was broken.

He could scream though. He found that out when Aizen yanked him up by his throat, black and purple eyes meeting dazed blue. Then Aizen rested his other hand inside Grimmjow's hollow hole. There was a flair of purple power before the arrancar screamed.

The pain was like nothing he'd ever experienced before in his life. It was like being ripped apart, being set on fire, being torn limb from limb… but it was none of those things, it was worse and Grimmjow screamed like a damned soul as Aizen tortured him with that power. When the jolt finally stopped, Grimmjow lay limp and dazed, his mind trying to figure out where everything had gone so wrong. He managed to lift his head enough to see Gin and Apacci. Gin was staring at them wide eyed, his face wet with sweat. Apacci was cowering in her ropes and sniveling, utterly terrified. Grimmjow knew he wasn't getting any help there.

"I will take care of this Gin. Please see to Apacci's punishment personally." Aizen's voice was calm now, superficially under control, but Grimmjow could hear the danger beneath. He was in deep, deep trouble now and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. Aizen dragged him out of the room and for the first time in a long time, Grimmjow was afraid.

He'd never seen Aizen in a mood like this and it was scary as fuck. He could only hope he would survive.

* * *

"Where is he?" Ichigo muttered as he comforted Tabby and looked out the window. It was a very nice window with a good view of the neighborhood. There was no sign of Grimmjow anywhere.

"Gin called him to the palace." Renji said and Ichigo nodded. He'd said that before. "He'll probably be home late, they must have found something for him to do."

"He usually sends a hell butterfly though." He replied, also not for the first time. Renji frowned but then shrugged.

"He must have forgot. Really, stop worrying." He said and Ichigo frowned before sighing to himself. His friend had a point. He was just worrying himself half to death when there was nothing he could really do.

"Yeah." Giving up his vigil by the window, Ichigo carried the fussing Tabby over to where Yuzu was helping Tigre with his math work. Ichigo honestly wasn't sure what grade level he would be in the living world and suspected he was behind his apparent age. But his chronological age was much younger, which made things confusing. Still, shinigami mostly needed to be literate and have a grasp on basic math. Some of them were even illiterate. Ichigo knew that Kenpachi had been. The arrancar were often even less educated and his boy would either be a shinigami or join the arrancar divisions, they weren't sure which yet. It would largely depend on whether or not he manifested a real zanpakuto.

Tigre wasn't concerned at all about his Grimm-papi being missing. He walked through the kitchen, helping Tabby drop off to sleep as Tigre learned how to do multiplication and division. His little face was screwed up in concentration as he worked.

_King._ His hollow suddenly said and Ichigo frowned. What did the white psychopath want? Although he loved Tabitha as much as Tigre. _Red's wrong. We've got big trouble. The Claim is weakening._

"What?" Ichigo said involuntarily and Yuzu shot him a troubled look before he lowered his voice. "What does that mean?" Now that his hollow mentioned it… the chains of Grimmjow's reiatsu did feel lighter. He'd never felt that before. His hollow replied, sounding frustrated and… scared?

_That means he's dying you thick-headed idiot!_ His hollow shrilled and Ichigo's eyes went wide. _Do something! If he dies you'll have to run with the cubs and you can't hide for shit! Well, unless you gave me control, maybe I could take us to Hueco Mundo…_ Ichigo wasn't listening to his hollow at all now. Grimmjow was dying?

"That is not going to happen." He vowed before talking to his sister. "Yuzu, can you look after Tabby and Tigre? I need to go." He needed to go immediately.

"Huh? Sure Ichi-nii, but what's wrong – " She started but Ichigo just shook his head and handed her the baby. There was no time to explain. He shot out the door and launched into shunpo, heading for the palace. The guards didn't want to let him in but after a few blood curdling threats – and he had Zangetsu now, he'd have no trouble at all carrying them out – they let him in and called for Gin.

"Ichigo! What ya doin' here?" Gin said with a smile but it seemed off, rather forced. Ichigo scowled at him.

"Where is Grimmjow?" He demanded and Gin's smile slipped. "What's happening to him?"

"Um, he's with Aizen. I'm sure he'll be fine – " The fox started and Ichigo grabbed the collar of his robe, yanking him close. Gin's eyes opened a bit, surprised.

"No, he's not fine! His Claim is weakening!" Ichigo snapped and from the look on Gin's face, he knew exactly what that meant. "Take me to him, now!" Aizen might hurt him too but… he'd do anything to save Grimmjow. Not just for his family, although that was a factor too. No, he was doing this for Grimmjow. Because he loved the bastard, as difficult as he could be.

"Oh shit. This's gettin' way out of hand…" Gin said, looking torn. After a moment his shoulders sagged. "I'm in so much trouble… c'mon, this way. Never shoulda done this." Gin was muttering as he led him deeper into the palace. "Shoulda used a different room, this was stupid as fuck…" Ichigo didn't know what he was babbling about and didn't care. He just wanted Grimmjow.

The room Gin brought him to was a torture chamber and Ichigo swallowed as he saw the implements. He'd only seen things like this once, in a museum. He'd never imagined how they would look like freshly used. But his attention was on the man in the corner, strapped down onto a table.

Grimmjow looked like hell. Blood was smearing in his hair and there was more blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. He was still conscious but just barely and his breathing was bad. Ichigo didn't like that at all, especially the hitching gasp at the end of each breath. Then he whimpered as Aizen slowly drew a bit of purple power over abused flesh. Ichigo was certain that if he'd still been capable of it, Grimmjow would have been screaming.

"What do you want, Gin?" The tyrant asked calmly and Ichigo swallowed as he met black and purple eyes. This… was terrifying. Then he stiffened, scowling at Aizen. He wasn't going to back down. Grimmjow was counting on him.

"Um, Ichigo came because the Claim's fadin' a bit. Aizen, you're goin' too far." Gin sounded extremely nervous and Aizen's gaze shifted to him. "It was just, just a joke really, I'm really sorry we disturbed ya but we really need Grimmy right now. I mean, we can't really replace him…" Gin was babbling a bit and Ichigo could feel Aizen's temper rising. Taking a deep breath, he made the only offer he could.

"Please Aizen-sama." He almost choked on the honorific but he had to do this. He had to. "Please… I'll do anything you want. Just let Grimmjow come home to his family." Aizen's temper went down as kami really looked at him. Suddenly he was there, moving with preternatural speed. Ichigo swallowed hard as a hand touched his chin.

"Interesting. You seemed like such a child, the first time I saw you… but you're not a child now, are you? And if the Sexta's been training you I'm sure you're rather skillful." Aizen said and Ichigo forced himself to stay still as his head was tilted to one side. "I accept your offer. But not today… I've already exhausted myself on this filth." Aizen gave Grimmjow a dismissive glance and Ichigo had to hold back his rage. Grimmjow was Aizen's Sexta, a powerful Espada. And the bastard called him that? "Take him to Orihime. She might be able to save his life." He said dismissively before turning away. Ichigo desperately wished he could stab the bastard in the back but he knew better. He wouldn't get close.

"Here, I'll yelp ya." Gin said as Aizen left the room and Ichigo nodded as they started unbuckling Grimmjow. They needed to get him to Orihime. With all the reiatsu in the wounds she wouldn't be able to heal much, but she could probably take care of the worst damage. Then they could get Grimmjow to Unohana and she would drain off the reiatsu before healing the Sexta. Ichigo winced as he saw all the damage. He wasn't sure how bad it was yet, but he was sure healing all this would take a lot of time, even for an Espada. It was bad, really bad.

As he carried Grimmjow out, Ichigo tried to forget about his promise to Aizen. It kept creeping back though. He didn't want that evil bastard touching him… but there was no choice now.

He'd do anything to save his mate.

* * *

Starrk was very much enjoying his pickle.

He'd always loved pickles and had a rather unique way of eating them. He slowly sucked the brine off his pickle, exploring it with his tongue. Then he dipped it in more of the brine before repeating the process, sucking away the delicious, salty liquid. His family had thought it was very strange when he'd done this as a child, but no one had ever stopped them. He'd already nipped the tip off so he paused to suck the juice out of the end –

"Oi, Starrk. I know you just really like pickles and all, but Shiro-chan doesn't and you're making him tight in the pants." Lilinette said and Starrk looked up, mildly shocked, to see Juushiro staring at him in an almost petrified way. He hadn't touched his tea, which was extremely odd for him. His little fraccion had her chin in her hand and was giving them both a disgusted look. Starrk glanced over the table thoughtfully. It was a European style table with a rather nice tablecloth. That gave him certain ideas… "Oi! I know that look. You're going to do gross adult things, I'm out of here." She shoved her chair away and ran out, much to Starrk's pleasure. He smiled after her.

"Have fun!" He called as Juushiro shook his head. Clearly he didn't think there was anything about to happen. Starrk smiled at him before ducking under the table.

"Starrk?" Juushiro's voice was shocked but Starrk ignored it as he went for the other's hakama. Lilinette was right, there was a very suspicious bulge in there. "Starrk! This isn't… appropriate…" Juushiro's voice shook as the Coyote freed him from his confines and began exploring with his tongue, deliberately mimicking the way he ate pickles. He didn't care if it was appropriate or not. Besides, the tablecloth was hiding him quite well.

Starrk explored every crevice and dimple, enjoying the way Juusiro's breathing speeded up. He teased the pulsing vein beneath his cock before popping the head into his mouth, sucking slowly. There was a soft gasp above him and then another voice suddenly spoke.

"Juushiro! I'm sorry to be late. It was a very long day at work and I needed to pick up Starrk's painting. Would you like to see?" Shunsui. There was a rustling and Starrk would have laughed if his mouth hadn't been busy. Poor Juushiro was going to have a very hard time concentrating on anything right now. Just to make it worse, he took in as much as he could, deep throating him. There was a ragged gasp and Shunsui spoke again, sounding concerned. "Are you well? You're looking very flushed."

"I'm f-fine." Juushiro said, his voice very odd to Starrk's ears. Shunsui immediately picked up on that.

"You don't sound fine. Let me take your temperature. Where's Starrk?" He asked worriedly and that did make the Coyote laugh, although the sound was very muffled by the cock in his mouth. The vibrations drew a soft moan from his mate. "Juushiro?"

"He's… he's… oh kami." Juushiro was clearly losing his mind. Starrk took pity on him and reached out blindly, sticking his hand out from under the tablecloth. He easily found Shunsui's leg and pulled playfully on his hakama before waving to the startled shinigami.

"…Oh, kami!" Shunsui suddenly laughed and Starrk gave his full attention back to Juushiro. From the way his cock was pulsing it wouldn't be long, now. "I'll leave you to that then. Let me know when you're done, hmm? I have some news about the arrancar units." Then there was the sound of movement and Starrk was sure Shunsui had left the room. Juushiro's breathing sped up and he breathed a warning just before he came. Starrk just stayed where he was, enjoying the feeling as that cock pulsed hard before erupting, filling his mouth with cum. He swallowed it easily before pulling away and wiping his lips. Then he slipped out from under the table before giving his mate an impish smile.

"You are terrible." Juushiro said as he got his breathing back under control and managed to take a sip of his tea. Then he blushed and began getting his clothing back in order. Starrk laughed as he stood, cracking his back.

"You love it, you know you do." He teased and Juushiro gave him a severe look. The smile tugging on his lips rather ruined it, though. "Shall we go see the painting?" That did interest him. How had Shunsui framed it? It didn't take them long. He was working on hanging it. They'd picked out a spot for it, a small wall on the way upstairs. It was empty now and was a good spot for a painting. Shunsui looked over at them with a smile that made Juushiro blush and Starrk smile back. He wasn't the least bit embarrassed about what he'd done.

"It looks very nice." Starrk admired the picture for a moment. He thought the simple wooden frame was plain but elegant and set the thing off nicely. "Thank you so much for getting that done for me." He said and Shunsui laughed before gripping his collar and pulling him close, kissing him deeply. Starrk returned the attention with interest, fighting for dominance. Before his awakening he wouldn't have bothered, would have passively accepted the attention, but now he liked to give as good as he got. From the light in Shunsui's eyes he found it arousing.

"It was nothing, but you can repay me if you want." The shinigami said before running his hand teasingly down the Coyote's side. Starrk shivered a little at the feeling of hands on his skin. He was wearing only his bolero jacket and pants today, there was plenty of skin to touch.

"I would love to." He said back, his voice a husky whisper. Then he looked at Juushiro, who was watching them both with a smile. "All three of us." He loved their threesomes and had an idea of what he wanted. It was something they'd done just once before and it had hurt, but the Coyote was feeling daring. He was willing to try it again. Then Shunsui spoke in his ear, the soft touch of breath making him shudder.

"Wonderful." Then they were going upstairs, to their room. The nanny saw them on the way and curtsied but didn't interrupt the obviously intimate moment. Starrk vaguely wondered what the help thought of this. Shunsui and Juushiro weren't as discreet as they once had been. But then, it would have been very hard for them to keep up the pretense when they joined him in bed together. Were there rumors about the two of them, or did Soul Society as a whole just think it was the Coyote's doing? He honestly preferred the latter. Starrk did not want to cause his pets pain.

Those errant thoughts vanished as they got into their private rooms and Shunsui pulled him close for another kiss. Starrk pulled away the silly straw hat, tossing it onto a nearby chair. The kimono soon followed and Starrk gasped softly as he was sandwiched between the two of them, Shunsui in front and Juushiro behind. Their hands roved over his body, teasing and exploring.

"Perhaps you could show me this pickle eating technique Lilinette mentioned?" Shunsui asked and Starrk swallowed at the heat in those warm grey eyes. He tangled his hands in Kyoraku's shirt, nuzzling him as he answered.

"I would love to." It was so like Lilinette to tell his mate what had prompted the whole thing. Starrk smiled as he pressed Shunsui against a convenient wall before falling to his knees. Undoing his mate's hakama only took a moment's work and he soon had that length in his mouth, lavishing Shunsui with his attentions. Pleasure echoed through the Claim and Starrk reached down to rub himself through his pants, giving himself just a bit of friction. Then another hand was there, snaking into his tight pants and Starrk's eyes went wide for a moment.

"!?" He couldn't say anything with his mouth full, but he didn't have to. Juushiro laughed in his ear as his hand began to slowly pump him. Starrk moaned before taking Shunsui deep in his throat, letting the vibrations torment him. The gasp his mate made was music to his ears.

"Oh kami, you are so good at that…" It was warming to hear that. Starrk knew his need for affirmation was a bit of a character flaw but at the moment, he didn't care. He hadn't gotten much support and kind words in his mortal life, it was no surprise that he craved it. "Please, more." Shunsui said and Starrk responded by deliberately tightening his throat. "Kami!"

_Yes._ Starrk jerked a little as Juushiro's pace increased. He was getting closer and closer to orgasm… trying to match Shunsui's pleasure with his own, Starrk stroked his balls, fondling the heavy sac. It was warm and pleasant to his touch.

"I'm… cumming…" Shunsui gasped out and Starrk was ready, swallowing as the shinigami came in his mouth. Still, for a moment he felt like he might drown. The pleasure flowing down the Claim brought him over the edge and Starrk came with a muffled scream, his hips jerking as streams of cum erupted from his aching erection. Coming down from the high he slowly pulled away, breathing hard as a bit of cum trickled down his chin. He reached up, wiping it off with his wrist then blinked as Shunsui gripped his jacket again, pulling him up into another deep, passionate kiss. Starrk melted against the shinigami, feeling the passion of the moment. Things had changed so much since their first reluctant coupling.

"Mmm, pants." He muttered as they parted and Shunsui laughed. It didn't take them long to get rid of the rest of their clothing and get onto the bed. Of course, he and Shunsui were too spent to do anything quickly. But that was fine, they would get a second wind soon enough. "I want you to take me." Starrk said, running a hand down Shunsui's side. The shinigami smiled, but there was more. "Both of you, together. Like that one time…" Shunsui's smile widened and Starrk blushed slightly as his mate gripped his chin for a moment before pulling him into another kiss.

"I would love to. Juushiro?" He said and Starrk looked over his shoulder at the white haired man. He was naked too, a light of anticipation in his warm brown eyes.

"Oh yes." He said before molding himself to Starrk's back. Then Shunsui's lips descended onto his left nipple and Starrk completely lost track of any coherent thought. He was putty in their hands, just savoring the glorious pleasure his two mates were giving him. Really, what could be better than this?

Nothing. Nothing could be better and Starrk moaned softly, gripping Shunsui's shoulders as Juushiro began opening him. His breathing came quick with anticipation as he spread his legs, positioning himself between the two of them. This had hurt but it had also felt amazingly good, and his pet's pleasure had echoed through the Claim, feeding his. He wanted to feel that again.

Shunsui was the first to enter him and Starrk took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he adjusted to the burn. Then his eyes flared open with a strangled sound as Juushiro joined him, spreading him farther than he was meant to go. But the Coyote's body soon adjusted, his rapid healing and hierro soothing the ache to a dull pain. The pleasure, though… that came as the two of them moved, drawing a whimper of absolute need from his mouth.

"Kami Starrk, you are beautiful." Shunsui sounded like he was losing his mind and Starrk met his eyes, seeing the burning need there. "I… need…" Starrk knew what he was asking for permission for and nodded.

"Please." He said faintly, wrapping his long legs around that muscular waist. Shunsui took the invitation, speeding the pace. Juushiro matched him, easily finding his rhythm and Starrk gasped as his insides were hammered by the two of them. The pleasure coming down the Claim was great and he could imagine how it felt for them. He had to be so tight, with the two of them in there, stretching him beyond capacity. He clawed at Shunsui's shoulders, raising red marks but stopping short of drawing blood. Aside from Claiming bites, he was always careful about that sort of thing.

"Starrk." Juushiro's voice in his ear was heavy with desire and pleasure. Starrk arched against his lover, shuddering at the feelings running through his body. "Shunsui's right. You are… amazing…" Shunsui was tormenting his other nipple now and Starrk moaned softly as his neglected erection wept tiny beads of cum, splattering against Shunsui's toned belly. Kami, this felt so good! Then Shunsui's hand wrapped around him and Starrk gasped, his grey eyes going wide.

"Shunsui… if you do that… I'm going to cum…" He tried to warn his mate but Shunsui just laughed.

"That's fine. We… can't keep this up… forever. Ah, it's too good!" He said before thrusting more vigorously and Starrk moaned as Juushiro followed suit. That hand on his cock, combined with the battering his prostate was taking… how long could he hold out against such a combination of sensations?

The answer was not very long. The Coyote came with a howl that mimicked his name, hot spurts of cum spilling over Shunsui's hand and belly. His body clamped down, an involuntary reaction to his orgasm and Starrk vaguely heard Juushiro crying out, felt Shunsui's teeth clamping down on his shoulder. It didn't hurt but it would leave a small red mark, a sign of their passion. He felt the pleasure they were experiencing, the liquid heat spreading through his anal cavity. When the moment was done they were all left shaking and breathless.

Juushiro was the first to pull away, easing out of his body. Then Shunsui followed, pulling away. Starrk collapsed onto his side, breathing heavily as exhaustion settled onto him. That had been absolutely amazing, but now he only wanted to sleep.

"Mmm, how long can I sleep?" He murmured drowsily. He did need to get to his work, but not for some time yet. Shunsui laughed softly in his ear.

"An hour. Then you need to wake up for supper and to spend a bit of time with the twins." He said and Starrk nodded, sighing softly as a gentle hand stroked his hair. "Sleep Starrk. We'll wake you when it's time."

"Mhmm." He yawned before curling up beside his mates, enjoying their body heat. A warm blanket was pulled over them and Starrk sighed as he burrowed into his safe and cozy nest. The hour passed quickly enough and soon a hand was shaking him awake. "Mrph." Starrk stretched and yawned, showing off his fangs for a moment before blinking. "I feel better." Refreshed, ready to take on the day. Shunsui smiled at him before kissing him on the forehead.

"Good. The twins are just starting to crawl." He said and Starrk brightened at the thought. He couldn't wait to see his babies crawling. What an adorable thing that would be. "Oh… and I have something to tell you. It almost slipped my mind. But it can wait until dinner."

"Something important?" Juushiro asked curiously as he put on a casual yukata. Shunsui followed suit, pulling on a black and white yukata before adding his pink kimono. Starrk sometimes wondered why he was so attached to it. He said he did it to make people think he was a silly fool, but Starrk had a feeling there might be something more to it. Still, if Shunsui didn't want to talk about it, the Coyote could certainly understand.

"Actually, yes. It could affect you both and it's rather grim news. But we can discuss it over dinner." Shunsui seemed a bit troubled by his news, whatever it might be. Starrk and Juushiro exchanged a mystified glance before leaving for the dinner table.

Dinner tonight was breaded, deep fried squid with vinegar and various dipping sauces. Starrk favored the hottest one, enjoying the spice. His food as a living man had always been spicy… well, until he'd been committed to the sanitarium. Then his food had consisted of oat porridge and bread with cheese, if he was lucky. If he wasn't, just bread. Wincing to himself, Starrk tried to concentrate on the food. He'd lived inland, far from the sea, so things like this were a rare treat.

"So what is this mysterious news?" Juushiro asked as Starrk gave Lilinette a second portion. He knew now that he was following another pattern from his childhood, when he handed out the food. His father had always done that, serving everyone before serving himself. He'd never stinted and Starrk didn't either.

"It's about the Sexta Espada." Shunsui said and Starrk froze as Lilinette stopped chewing. "He's currently at the Fourth and they think it will be weeks before he recovers from what Aizen did to him. Rumors are going around that he was very close to death and only survived because Ichigo and Gin intervened." Shunsui sounded troubled and Starrk swallowed, sans food. Was this because of Apacci's little plot? But why would Aizen have been involved? "The strange thing is that no one knows exactly what prompted this. There are rumors… well, more like whispers… that it was some kind of joke that got completely out of hand. The arrancar are very on edge at the moment."

"Oh kami." Starrk breathed before closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm responsible for this." Grimmjow wouldn't blame him, no, even now the Sexta would probably thank him. But it didn't help the crippling weight of guilt he felt. His pets both looked at him inquiringly and he found himself telling them about Apacci's scheme to make Grimmjow a father. "…But I don't see why Aizen would have been involved either. Unless… unless his attention was caught and he thought Grimmjow was disobeying Gin…?" That could infuriate the tyrant. Especially since he was very badly on edge from his failure to claim the throne. Starrk had heard rumors that Szayel had even gone back to Los Noches, looking for any DNA their leader might have left early on, before he'd absorbed the hogyoku. That action stunk of desperation to him.

"Wait, what about Sito and his family?" Juushiro suddenly asked and Starrk blinked before he groaned.

"They'll be in danger when the shock wears off. I'll have to leave Lilinette with them." Fortunately they had a bit of time before he was reassigned to tower duty. He didn't dare leave her here when he was guarding the towers in the Living World and Aizen would probably skin him if he tried. "I'd better take her there before my patrol starts." Lilinette wouldn't be happy at all to be dropped off with strangers and separated from Kinomi, but it was temporary. They would have to find the family a new place quickly though. "Have they been having any luck in the search?" The whole Division had chipped together to give them the money for a deposit. Now they just needed a good rental, which was actually rather hard to find for a decent rate.

"No. We'll have to step it up, maybe even look at the Rukongai. You can't leave Lilinette here when you got to the Living world and Grimmjow might not be recovered by then." Juushiro said, echoing his thoughts and Shunsui nodded somberly. Starrk just closed his eyes in pain for a moment. Aizen's reiatsu would be the reason for Grimmjow's slow healing, but the wounds must have been extreme. Otherwise, Unohana could have purged the reiatsu and healed him relatively quickly. The only thing that would take her this long was something that involved organ regeneration. How close to death had Aizen brought the Sexta? Starrk shivered at the thought. He would have to tell the Visored about this, the next time he went to the Living World. They might be able to use this.

Grimmjow might be amenable to treachery at this point.


	33. Pain with no Pleasure

"Starrk, do you think we're stupid?" Shunsui's tone was so pleasant that for a moment, Starrk couldn't parse the actual content of the sentence. Then he blinked, feeling completely taken aback.

"I, uh, no?" He said weakly. They were all sitting at a Japanese style table, having tea. He and Juushiro each had a baby in their laps and Starrk looked at his white haired lover, hoping for some kind of support. However, Juushiro was giving him a severe look. Feeling unnerved, Starrk lifted little Toshiro in his arms, cuddling him close. "Why would you think so?"

"Because you're hiding something from us and it's getting extremely obvious." Shunsui said and Starrk swallowed. It seemed he was as bad at lying as he was at acting. "How exactly did you know about Apacci's plot to have Grimmjow father her child? Unless you've suddenly become very close to Halibel's fraccion or Lisa there is simply no way you could have known about that. And we know you. You have nothing to do with Halibel and there seems to be animosity there." Starrk looked down at the table, feeling a sudden stab of guilt. That had been his fault. He hadn't thought so, before his memories had come back, but now he knew he owed the Tercero an apology. The hurtful things he'd said… they had come from his own weaknesses. But he couldn't give that apology now or she would know he'd changed. Putting that aside he tried to think of an excuse.

"I could have just overheard them. They're not exactly discreet." That was probably what Grimmjow had assumed. But he had no more information, unlike his pets. Juushiro spoke then, gently cuddling little Guadalupe. She was asleep, sucking on her thumb.

"Starrk, we've heard you talking to someone but then no one is there. You sometimes vanish after ordering us to stay here. You're doing _something._ Don't you trust us?" He asked and Starrk cringed a little inside. "We're your pets. You can order us not to talk, if you're very concerned."

"And it's rather insulting, keeping secrets from the people closest to you." Shunsui said before sipping his tea and Starrk flinched visibly. That… was painful. And true. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead for a moment. He was still worried about them accidentally letting something slip, but it seemed he could do that quite well on his own. He shouldn't have told them about Apacci's scheme. Really, how could the Primera know about such a thing? Fortunately Grimmjow hadn't asked or cared.

"Not here, this place is too open. Let's go the study and you can use your kido, the one that will keep anyone from overhearing." Starrk said quietly before standing, lifting his child. Toshiro opened his eyes for a moment and they were a beautiful brown, just like Juushiro's.

The study was a rather small, completely lightless room. They kept records there but otherwise didn't really use it. There was a desk, but who wanted to work in such an environment? Starrk certainly didn't. Clerks coveted window desks for a reason. There was only one chair so Starrk stood as he patiently waited for Juushiro to complete the kido. When it was done, he spoke.

"I'm afraid my secret is momentous." He said carefully as the two of them just looked at him. "…I'm a traitor. I'm helping the Visored and other escapees in their effort to unseat Aizen." He stated the facts baldly and Shunsui looked like he must have misheard as Juushiro looked shocked, then a bit sick.

"Why… why would you do such a thing? With the children…" Juushiro asked and Starrk nodded sadly. He understood exactly where his mate's thoughts were going. As little as his two pets might like Aizen, they all had so much to lose if their plot was found out. His children could potentially be killed out of hand.

"It's the Red Queen. Kurosaki Isshin claims that this is happening because Aizen hasn't properly taken the throne. He can't, until his bloodline is made noble through marriage and the birth of a child." He explained and the two shinigami exchanged a glance, no doubt thinking of Aizen's quest to have a child with Unohana. Everyone knew how poorly that was going. "The fact that Szayel is trying to find old genetic material suggests he's evolved into something truly bizarre. What if this simply cannot be done? Will Aizen let us all die before he hands the Soul King's throne to someone else?" He asked and Shunsui swallowed hard as Juushiro looked sick. "Will he let himself die before giving up what he worked so hard for?"

"…He might. He really might." Juushiro whispered as Shunsui bowed his head for a moment. "Why didn't you tell us?" He asked and Starrk sighed.

"I thought it was better to keep it to myself. Only Yoruichi knows I'm involved." She'd made contact with Ichigo and Lisa but other than that, she was mostly observing. Between the two of them, they knew a great deal about what was happening. Neither of them had been informed of Starrk's involvement. It was absolutely critical to the Visored that they not lose the Espada, if they did their route to Soul Society would close. "The fewer who know about my treachery, the fewer who can betray it." The Visored knew, of course, and that worried him. If one of them was captured… Starrk forced that out of mind. There was nothing he could do about it.

"So all those trips you've been making to the Living World for Lilinette and Kinomi have actually been to meet with the Visored." Shunsui said and Starrk nodded. "You should have told us, but I can see why you didn't." He sighed, reaching up to scratch his head under the straw hat for a moment. Then he brightened. "Wait, does that mean the Visored are all fine? You didn't kill anyone?"

"Oh, that. No, I saved them actually." Starrk gave them the true story of Lilinette's massive explosion and they both looked relieved. A little pained, though, when he told them about his injuries. "I didn't remember then though. I remembered later after that girl, Hiyori, beat me almost to death." He said softly. Starrk was merely pained by the memory. He understood why she would hate him. Really, how could he not?

"Oh." Juushiro was a bit shocked by that while Shunsui shook his head. "She always had a temper and could hold grudges forever… I suppose being outcast and hunted has embittered her." He said sadly and Starrk shrugged.

"Lilinette would like her head, but I just want her to leave me alone." He really wanted nothing at all to do with the volatile girl. Starrk wasn't sure she would respect that, though. "Well, that's really all I was keeping from you. Should we take the children out to play?" They were both being very good, but Starrk could feel little Toshiro starting to wake. He would need food, cleaning and playing, not necessarily in that order.

"Excellent idea." Shunsui said cheerfully as Juushiro smiled. He broke the kido on the room and they left. Starrk felt rather relieved, that his mates knew everything now. He would have more support in the things he had to do. Guadalupe finally woke with a squall and that woke little Toshiro, who also started to cry. With the nanny's help they tended to the children, turning tears into smiles. Starrk smiled as he cuddled his little girl, smelling the sweet baby scent. He wished Lilinette could share the moment with him but she was still babysitting that shinigami family. It wasn't something he could help with. His reiatsu would kill them, eventually. Of course, they would flee from him long before that happened. Aizen had used the hogyoku to dampen him, removing the risk of instantaneous death. Many of the numeros couldn't tolerate him for long periods… a shinigami family that included young children certainly couldn't.

Hopefully, they would find a solution to that problem soon. Lilinette wanted to see the children again.

* * *

Lilinette scowled from where she perched on the roof of the house.

"I feel like a damned gargoyle." She growled, kicking her feet. She was wearing the new clothes Starrk had gotten for her, nice woolen pants and the big puffy coat. It was comfortable, she had to admit. "Hrmph." She could have gone inside and stayed with the family but they were scared of her. It was annoying but also sort of gratifying. Most shinigami and even arrancar who looked at her saw a little girl. They didn't see the other half of the Primera, the most dangerous of the Espada. Yammy was a freak, he didn't count. "S'funny. I wanted to be strong, but when we separated I got weaker." Lilinette mused, then sighed. "But Starrk was always the strong one." Poor Lupe… she still remembered the way he'd closed his eyes and opened his arms to her, letting her feed. If that hadn't happened she'd never have been anything but a basic hollow, mindless and hungering. It was Lupe's reiryoku that had turned them into a terrifying force of absolute entropy. "Hehe, entropy. Take that step-dad!" She said with a perverse pride. She could read now and she knew lots of words. She'd been illiterate, back then, and her step-dad had said girls didn't need things like books.

Lilinette sighed and rested her chin in her hand. This was so boring. She almost hoped someone would cause trouble so she'd get to use her secret weapon. And they really might, now. Grimmjow hadn't woken up yet although they were sure now he would live. Unless Aizen relented and gave Orihime to okay to fix him up completely, though, it was going to be weeks. Lilinette was pretty sure that Aizen was going to relent pretty soon though. Apparently Gin had 'fessed up to Aizen about what had really happened, when the tyrants' mood was a lot better. Aizen couldn't admit he'd been wrong and he'd let Grimm suffer for a while, but eventually Orihime would patch him up.

Lilinette lifted her head with a blink as she saw three dark forms peeling out of the shadows. She might be weaker than Starrk but her reiatsu sensing was top notch and she could tell they were three numeros. Not the weakest but far from the strongest, they could probably survive Starrk's reiatsu for long periods. If they tried to stand against him, though, he'd crush them like bugs. A wicked grin crossed her face. They were wearing masks, probably so she wouldn't be able to give the Primera their identities. This was going to be fun!

"Hey, you dicks!" She called before she leapt off the roof, landing right in front of the biggest window in the house. They had been heading towards it, probably planning to smash right through. They halted, though, when they saw her.

"Out of the way brat." One of them said and Lilinette scowled. This was why she preferred fear. People could be so exasperating!

"You fucking thick? I'm the Primera, dirtbag. Now get out of here!" She ordered them and Talkative laughed. He seemed to be the leader of this little pack.

"Oh, that's hilarious! You're not Starrk, bitch. Now get out of the way before we make you move." The numero said. Lilinette's single eye narrowed before she grinned nastily.

"You're right, I'm not Starrk. Starrk'd swallow you all down like a piece of candy." She said, although she knew he wouldn't. Sweet ol' Starrk would probably waste time talking and then his reiatsu would scare them off before it could come down to violence. She was actually kind of more dangerous because she liked to kill… and sometimes, she had the power to back it up. Now was one of those times. "But I'm still the Primera. I share his authority. And that means…" She pulled a whistle out of her pocket and blew on it. The sound was piercing and kido enhanced. All the arrancar winced, then abruptly turned around as shinigami materialized around them, summoned by her call. Six of them, from various units, and two of them were seated officers. They all had their zanpakuto out and looked very nasty, to Lilinette's approving eyes. "…You're fucked." She finished as the arrancar shifted and looked around frantically for an escape route. "Kill the talkative one and the big guy. Let the l'il one go to spread the word." She didn't really want to deal with more of this. It was fun, sure, but someone might get a creative idea like using a bomb and she wanted to nip this in the bud.

"Yes, Lilinette-sama." The leader of the shinigami, a seated officer from Renji's Division, bowed to her. The smallest arrancar immediately lit out, abandoning his fellows to their fate. They met that fate quickly and brutally as Lilinette watched approvingly. The shinigami were really enjoying getting a bit of their own back. Well, who wouldn't?

"Good job." She said as the bodies vanished. "Too bad they go away like that when you shinigami kill 'em, it would have been nice to have some heads to stick up. Oh well." A properly gory display would have made her happy, but it just couldn't be. "You go back to your rounds, I'll call ya if I need ya." She said and the leader bowed to her before vanishing again in a burst of shunpo. Lilinette had a feeling he didn't much like her, but as long as he did his job she didn't care. Muffling a yawn with the back of her hand, the smaller half of the Primera decided it was time to bunk down. She had a sleeping pad in the front of the room, right by the window. If trouble came she'd be there to meet it.

Juushiro needed these people kept safe and Starrk needed Juushiro. So Lilinette was going to make sure it happened.

* * *

Ichigo held Grimmjow's hand and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.

The arrancar had been in even worse shape than he'd thought. The internal injuries had been severe and Orihime had just barely been able to hold him together long enough for them to get him to Unohana. Now, of course, Orihime could have healed all his injuries and brought him to full health. But Aizen wouldn't allow it. It was an aspect of the 'punishment'.

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment as he felt burning hatred towards the madman in kami's throne. The arrancar weren't really responsible for this… they were hollows, they had no allegiance to Soul Society. Aizen was the traitor, the monster in sheep's clothing who had caused all of this pain and suffering. Grimmjow shifted with a soft whine and Ichigo tried to bank his emotions. He'd noticed that his feelings were reaching Grimmjow even in his unconscious state. The arrancar didn't seem to like anything negative right now, even things that would have invigorated him when he was awake. Hatred and rage normally fed him, but not right now.

At least he knew what was behind this. A tearful Apacci had come to see if Grimmjow was okay and had confessed the whole thing to him. Ichigo had wanted to strangle her but he'd been able to tell her remorse was real, so he'd managed to hold back the urge and gradually it had passed. Hollows didn't understand why rape was wrong. They certainly wouldn't understand why luring someone into fatherhood was wrong. All Apacci really understood was that everything had careened out of control and she'd caused Grimmjow a great deal of pain for no good reason.

"Sh… shit…" That soft, mumbled swear word caught his attention and Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, seeing those eyes parted just the tiniest bit. From the way his brow wrinkled the light was hurting him. "Head… fucking… hurts…" His voice was raspy, broken.

"Shh. I'll get you a drink and some pills." Ichigo told him softly before going to find those. It wasn't hard, Unohana had said Grimmjow would probably wake dehydrated and aching, despite all the painkillers they'd flooded him with. There was a bottle of water with a straw and as soon as he got it between the Espada's lips Grimmjow went to town on it, sucking the liquid down. When he paused for breath Ichigo gently pressed the pills against his lips. The Espada quickly got the idea and took them, swallowed them down with another pull on the straw.

"The fuck… he do this for? I didn' do… anything…" Grimmjow muttered, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. Ichigo just gently stroked his hair. They'd worked the blood out with wet clothes and it was soft to the touch. "Ksssh…" Grimmjow's eyes opened completely then and Ichigo was relieved to see the normal hard glint in them. "You came for me, didn't you? I kind of remember."

"Yes." He said, gently gripping Grimmjow's hand and giving him a squeeze. His left hand was well healed, unlike the right. That one had broken bones and was splinted with kido. "You're going to be fine Grimm. It's just going to take a while." He said and Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah." Behind the tough exterior, there was something in those bright blue eyes. Fear? Pain? Something fragile and uncertain. Not that it was very surprising. Grimmjow had been raped and beaten almost to death for no real reason. No matter how tough he was, he would be shaken by the experience. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Grimmjow tried to move then stopped with a gasp. Ichigo winced, putting a hand on his chest. "Sh-Shit!"

"The damage is really bad Grimm." He said quietly and the Espada just looked at him, silently demanding answers. "You want me to go over it?"

"Yeah." He said and Ichigo bit his lip. He wasn't sure this was a good idea, but if it was what Grimmjow wanted… he began detailing all the injuries he could remember. There were just so many, but the worst ones had been the damage to his lungs and serious internal bleeding from hard blows. That, combined with many broken bones and the blood loss from torture, had completely overwhelmed his healing factors and put him on the edge of death.

"…I came pretty fucking close, didn't I." It wasn't a question and Ichigo looked down before nodding. "What did you do to get me out of there?" Grimmjow suddenly asked and Ichigo winced. That was one thing he definitely wanted to keep from the Espada. But sooner or later he would have to know.

"I…promised to do whatever he wanted." He said quietly and Grimmjow's eyes flashed.

"What? Fuck no! I – ah, shit." He'd tried to sit up but fell back with a strangled sound of pain. "F-Fuck I… kssh…" He panted as Ichigo rested a hand on his shoulder. "That motherfucker doesn't get to touch you. You're mine. Mine!" Grimmjow growled, his blue eyes flashing. Ichigo couldn't help but smile. That was adorable even if it was completely futile.

"Grimm, you can't even move. And even if you could, Aizen has a right to demand the use of a pet. He has the right to demand the use of an Espada." Ichigo pointed out and Grimmjow closed his eyes in mental pain. Ichigo stroked his hair again, trying to lend him comfort. Although given what was going to happen to him, shouldn't he be getting comforted? It hadn't happened yet though. They could save that for later. Then a hand caught his arm and Ichigo looked into bright blue eyes.

"Hey. Pro-tip. If he gives you any kind of warning, make sure to lube and stretch yourself before you go to see him. He ain't like me, he doesn't always do it for you." Grimmjow's voice sounded unsteady and Ichigo swallowed before he nodded. For a moment he felt a sharp anguish coupled with intense hatred. The Espada were hollows, to them this was normal, but Aizen knew better. He knew it wasn't 'normal' to lube up before a meeting with your superior because you were expecting to be raped. He felt anguish for the hollows and hatred for the man who could have been guiding them to something better, but instead, had descended to their level. "Oi, calm down, you're making my head hurt." Grimmjow complained and Ichigo managed a weak chuckle before gently touching his cheek. His jaw was healed enough for the Espada to talk and he wasn't showing a lot of pain, but it had to hurt.

"Well, if you're awake I should probably go home. Yuzu's being run ragged by the kids." He said lightly and Grimmjow nodded. "I'll come back tomorrow. Hopefully, Aizen will let Orihime heal you soon." If he did, Grimm would be back home sooner. The arrancar nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. Hey probably only meant for it to be a moment but the painkillers were hitting him hard and after a moment, his breathing evened out. Ichigo smiled to himself before standing and showing himself out.

It was worth it. Whatever Aizen was going to do to him for Grimmjow's life, it was worth it.

* * *

A few days later, Ichigo had a chance to rethink that.

"You really are beautiful, aren't you?" Ichigo swallowed, shaking slightly with fear and revulsion as he met black and purple eyes. He was half-naked, his shirt stripped away. Aizen's hands were on his body, touching him in ways that were far too intimate. "I can't wait to see what the Sexta has been so obsessed with." Aizen's voice was warm and sounded so… nice. The words didn't match up with the tone. "If I know Grimmjow, he's taught you how to use your mouth. Perhaps we should start with that."

"Yes Aizen-sama." Ichigo managed to say the honorific without choking, but it was hard. He knew he didn't dare talk back to Aizen though. He wasn't Grimmjow, he didn't enjoy being lipped off to. He fell to his knees obediently and undid the ties to Aizen's pants. Aizen wore underwear so he had to deal with that too, sliding it down before he could take that length in his mouth. He did it without hesitation, trying to pretend this was Grimmjow. It was hard though. He didn't smell the same at all and a hand went through his hair, stroking the orange strands as he pleasured the tyrant. Grimmjow didn't do that, didn't stroke his hair that way… sometimes, he used a hand in his hair to hold him in place but he hadn't done that for a while…

Ichigo tried not to think at all, blindly following his instincts. He deep throated Aizen, doing all the things with his tongue that he knew Grimmjow liked. It was humiliating, disgusting, but he desperately wanted this over and done with. Of course, this was only the start. He was looking forward to the rest of it even less…

When Aizen came it was quick and unexpected. Ichigo choked for a moment before managing to swallow the cum, ruthlessly suppressing his nausea. It was bad, almost overwhelming, but he did it. He finally pulled away, coughing a little and flinched as Aizen stroked his hair again. Did he really have to do that? Ichigo hated the mocking tenderness of the gesture. He was used to Grimmjow and the Espada had hardly ever shown him kindness at first. No, that had taken time and when tender gestures had come, they'd been sincere. Aizen's touches were an obscene parody of that closeness.

"The bed." Aizen said in a pleased, anticipatory tone that made Ichigo shudder. But he obediently moved to the bed and undid the ties to his hakama, sliding the fabric away. He wore nothing beneath, Grimmjow didn't like underwear and his attitude was contagious. Besides, what was the point? It would just end up being stripped away. There was a chuckle behind him and suddenly Aizen was at his back, rubbing up against him from behind. Ichigo shuddered in revulsion but Aizen didn't care, or perhaps he enjoyed it. A warm, dry hand explored his ass and found the cleft, easily finding the traces of lube. "I see Grimmjow gave you some instructions. Good, I don't want to waste time. There's so little time…" For a moment Aizen sounded almost angry and Ichigo flicked a glance over his shoulder. The tyrant was staring away, frowning. Then that black and violet gaze turned back to him. "Hollows have such silly customs but we don't, do we Ichigo?" Ichigo hated the way Aizen said his name. It sounded intimate but that was the last thing he wanted with this bastard. "On your back."

"Yes Aizen-sama." He murmured obediently before taking his place on the bed. Maybe it was just all the years he'd been with Grimmjow, all the information he'd been given about hollow customs, but he didn't want this. He didn't want to be fucked from the front, with Aizen looking into his eyes. What he wanted didn't matter, though, and he didn't dare protest. Aizen didn't bother much with the preliminaries, just flicking his legs over the tyrants' shoulders before sliding inside. "…!" Ichigo huffed out a bit of air, painfully aware of the fact that he wasn't aroused. It was obvious to Aizen too, but he didn't seem to care at all. The penetration hurt but the lube and stretching did help. Ichigo grit his teeth, hoping it would be over soon…

But then his eyes went wide as he felt a bit of Aizen's power inside him. It wasn't much, just the barest touch of the hogyoku's strength, but it hurt. It burned inside him like fire and he arched with a yelp, a bizarre parody of intimacy. Aizen chuckled and more of that liquid reiatsu spilled into him, scalding his insides. Ichigo whimpered in pain, sweat breaking out over his skin. Was this how Aizen planned to rape him? Had he done this to Grimmjow before? It was bearable, he could survive it, but oh how it hurt…

The pain deepened, becoming worse and worse as Aizen plowed into his body. Ichigo was vaguely aware of the fact that he was writhing and gasping on the bedsheets, even as he struggled not to give into the pain. He met black and violet eyes for a moment, his own filled with tears, and saw only a cruel enjoyment there. Aizen was getting off on his suffering…

He couldn't have said how long it took but the tyrant finally climaxed in his body. There was a final caress of that agonizing power, and then the man finally pulled away. Ichigo was left gasping, feeling sick and cold deep inside. He hadn't climaxed, hadn't been aroused at all from start to finish. This was as unlike the kind of rape Grimmjow favored as anything in the world. Ichigo wondered how Aizen could enjoy it. But he seemed to be savoring his pain. Ichigo closed his eyes, listening as Aizen used a towel to clean himself up. He wanted to move but he couldn't, yet. His limbs felt like jelly.

"Hmm. You weren't bad, but not really as good as my favorite toys." Aizen sounded vaguely dissatisfied which was insulting but also a relief. "I'm not sure why Grimmjow likes you so much. But then, he is rather obsessive. Well, you can go. I'm done with you." If Ichigo had felt anything for the bastard, that would have been cruelly hurtful. But he was all too happy to get out of there. Ignoring the line of cum going down his leg, he staggered out of the bed and pulled on his hakama, then his shirt. It was time for him to go home and probably have a mild breakdown in private.

Hopefully, Aizen would never want him this way again.


	34. Sympathetic Pain

"Mph." Starrk chewed on a piece of cheese, half-closing his eyes in bliss. He'd taken it from the breakfast table and it was his favorite type, sharp, hard and full of tiny crystals. He loved the way they popped in his mouth, crunching under his teeth. Another taste from his childhood, the cheese brought back happy memories of the family table and newer memories of eating it every morning with Lilinette and his mates.

A little went a long way, though, and he wrapped up the piece of cheese again before sticking it into his coat pocket. Then he glanced around, smiling as he saw his breath steaming in the air. The weather had shifted suddenly only a few days ago, dumping snow over Soul Society and plunging them into winter temperatures. He'd been invited to this little party, in a private park. They'd reserved the place for him, which was very kind of them. Starrk sometimes wished his reiatsu wasn't so difficult. Even now, it isolated him.

The park was beautiful though. Full of snow, it was perfect for playing children. Shimonami was the oldest and often bossy with the boys. Her ideas didn't always go over well, but today she'd hit a home run. She'd gotten them building snow forts and started a spirited snowball fight. The boys and little Kata loved it, they were having an excellent time. Lilinette, Kinomi and Juushiro were in it too and Starrk smiled at the laughter in the air, taking a quick look at Mila Rose. She was here to look after Shimonami and was quietly sipping a cup of coffee. Then he glanced at Ichigo and Grimmjow. They were standing to the side, just watching.

Starrk examined them, wishing they were happier. But it was probably too much to ask… this had been a very tough week for them. Grimmjow had been healed by Orihime just a day ago and he was tired and drained. Ichigo looked drawn and hollow eyed, leaning slightly against Grimmjow and letting the Espada hold him. Grimmjow had his arm around Ichigo's waist, holding him close. Starrk could almost feel them supporting each other.

Warm arms went around him and Starrk leaned back against Shunsui's chest. It felt wonderful to be held and he turned his head to give his mate a smile. That smile widened as he saw the hat Shunsui was wearing. His straw hat was perfect for spring, summer and even fall but it wasn't warm enough for winter. So today, he was wearing a cap that had been quilted for him by Mia. It was brightly colored and patchwork, with amusing little tassels. His hairpins glittered like tiny jewels in the bright sun and Starrk closed his eyes as he was pulled into a warm, loving kiss.

"Oi! Starrk!" Surprised, the Coyote looked back to see that Grimmjow was glowering at him. But he seemed more amused than really angry. "Your fraccion is cheating!"

"Cheating? How?" He asked, bewildered. Turning his attention to the fray he saw a snowball that should have missed curve to hit Tigre in the back of the head. The boy squalled and looked behind him, confused by the sneak attack. Shunsui chuckled softly at the sight "Oh. You can discipline her, if you want." That was definitely Lilinette's doing. Grimmjow grinned fiendishly, giving Ichigo a quick kiss before going to take care of the smaller half of the Primera. He stalked up behind her and grabbed her, making her scream.

"HEY! Put me down! Starrrrrk!" She cried as she was hung upside down by the ankles. Grimmjow just laughed. Unfortunately, Lilinette was holding a snowball. Starrk's eyes went wide as she drew her arm back.

"Lily, don't!" He tried to stop her but she let fly and Grimmjow's eyes also went wide just before he screamed.

"OH FUCK YOU BITCH!" He let go of her and Lilinette yelped as she landed on her head. That was nothing, though, compared to the way Grimmjow curled up and grasped his pride and joy. "Right in the babymakers! Shit!" Lilinette ran to what she supposed was safety from the outraged and emasculated Espada… her bigger half. Unfortunately for her, Starrk wasn't entirely sympathetic.

"Oi Starrk! What the hell?!" Lilinette squirmed as he scooped her up and over one shoulder, holding her in place with his right arm and catching her legs with his left. That left her bottom in a rather good spot and Starrk smiled before calling to Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow! I think she deserves a spanking. One shot, so make it good." He said as his other half screamed and started thrashing. She couldn't get away, though. Starrk was definitely the stronger half.

_Wap!_ Grimmjow delivered a very nice, open handed slap to Lilinette's bottom. Starrk winced as she punched him in the head and dropped her, letting her go. She tried to kick him but he blocked and then she took off, crying. Tigre looked concerned and followed her but Starrk just shook his head.

"She needs to grow up a little." He said to the mildly shocked Shunsui. He scratched his head, looking dubious. "I didn't tolerate as much from her, back when I was Lupe." The lazy Coyote had let his fraccion do anything she wanted, but the living man had been a different matter. A few light kicks and smacks had been the limit of the abuse he would tolerate. And now that he cared again, he wouldn't let her abuse others. "A snowball in the testicles is just rude." He added and Shunsui laughed.

"I can't argue with that!" He said cheerfully and Starrk smiled as he glanced at the smallest additions to their party.

Toshiro, Guadalupe and Tabitha were all wearing snowsuits and looking around in wide eyed wonder. It was the first snow they'd seen in their lives and Guadalupe squealed as she thrashed in it. Tabitha and Toshiro were both crawling through it, their little hands protected by warm mitts. Starrk hadn't been sure about bringing them – he still wasn't sure how changing would go with those snowsuits in the way – but Yuzu and Akari, their nanny, both thought it would be fine. Who was he to question female wisdom?

Starrk's eyes went wide as fear and rage raced through him. It wasn't his emotion, but it also was, because Lilinette was part of him… he launched into sonido without a thought, running to his other half. She had run behind some trees, out of sight of most of them. He saw her clinging to the legs of a numero who had Tigre in his grip. The little boy was unconscious or worse but his other half was stopping the arrancar from getting away. There was something _off_ about him but Starrk had no time at all to consider it. The numero spotted him and snarled before dropping Tigre and punching a hand through Lilinette's chest.

"LILINETTE! NO!" Starrk couldn't imagine how a numero could do such a thing – Lilinette was the weaker of the two, true, but that was mostly for offense. Her hierro was as strong as any adjuchas – and he reacted out of pure panic. He grabbed his diminutive other half and tried to release, lend her power, anything to save her. Starrk's awareness flowed into her body and the two of them were both looking through her eyes, feeling… what?

It was difficult to define. Not painful, precisely, but exceedingly strange. It felt like the world was covered in a red haze and he was seeing the very structure of it, on a level that was beyond what his mind could easily comprehend. It vaguely reminded him of sensing the 'rips' in reality but that was merely sensing… this was seeing the very essence of it, the fabric of everything. Much of it was too alien for him to understand at all and to protect himself, his mind simply shut those things out, refusing to acknowledge them. But what he could comprehend was amazing. And behind that…

_So lonely._ The feelings behind the force touching him were so powerful that they brought tears to his eyes. _So desperate to be free._ The Red Queen… he vaguely knew what was reaching for him, trying to suck him in, but the emotions behind the hunger were somewhat comprehensible. Alien, but his mind translated them into loneliness and fear, pain and desperation. It was so desperate to be free. The cast off bits of reality that had given rise to it were like a prison and somewhere along the way, it had tasted reality and come to crave it. It was trapped, trapped and alone and to Starrk it suddenly seemed unbearably cruel that they were denying it. It was so wrong to leave it there, trapped and despairing…

Then a blade came down and the numero exploded in red mist. Starrk blinked but managed to gather himself as the red made a final try at taking his soul. Regretfully, he denied it, pulling himself and Lilinette away. Despite the compassion he felt for the thing that was the Red Queen, he couldn't give it what it wanted. Because for it to be free meant that the reality he knew would cease to exist. What kind of reality would come after that, he wasn't entirely sure. But Starrk knew it would be something he would be hard pressed to recognize.

Then a crushing weariness, unlike anything he'd felt before, hit him and Starrk suddenly realized how close they'd come. He'd been unaware of the drain while he was bound to Lilinette and experiencing that strange awareness, but the numero-thing had been sucking in their power like a sponge. They would recover – it had been a reiatsu drain only – but Starrk was suddenly beyond exhausted. Lilinette was already unconscious in the snow so he did the only thing he could.

He passed out.

* * *

"Wake up you motherfucking bastard!" Grimmjow roared at the unconscious Primera as Ichigo tried frantically to wake their boy. He was breathing but they couldn't get him to wake up. "If you ate him I'll kill you!"

"Grimmjow-sama, please stop." Juushiro said as Shunsui gripped Grimmjow's arm, trying to stop him from kicking Starrk. He'd already landed one good blow, but the Coyote wasn't waking up either. Unlike Tigre, though, his power still felt complete. "If Starrk-sama took part of your son's soul, I'm sure Szayel-sama and Orihime-san can recover it." He said soothingly as Ichigo cuddled Tigre to his chest, glancing up. Grimmjow didn't seem very comforted by that.

"He's right Grimm. If it was Starrk, we'll be able to fix it. If it wasn't…" Ichigo swallowed, looking at the puddle of red stuff on the ground. It was rapidly dissipating from the snow and the edge of his blade. Zangetsu was lying in the snow, forgotten in the rush to see to Tigre and Starrk. "I don't know." Getting a soul out of a hollow might be difficult but he was sure Szayel could do it. That other thing, he wasn't sure at all.

"We need to get them to mama or Szayel-sama." Casamir said practically and Grimmjow growled, running a hand over his face. Then he bent over and picked up Starrk, slinging him over his back in a fireman's carry. Shunsui picked up Lilinette and spoke quietly to Juushiro, who nodded. He stayed with Akari, helping her, Yuzu and Mila Rose with getting the children home.

Ichigo didn't care about that, though. What he cared about was making his boy better. They went to Orihime first, hoping that she could fix it. Ichigo had just barely put Tigre on the floor when the golden shield came up over him.

It seemed to take forever. Both the young parents watched anxiously as Orihime seemed to struggle with something. The fight was clear on her face as sweat began to bead on her skin. Ulquiorra wasn't there – he was guarding the towers – but Ichigo spotted a shinigami, likely one of the Onmitsukido, taking a quick peek into the room. Ulquiorra had left Orihime and Casamir with a watcher he trusted, and likely more than one.

"Papi?" That whisper seemed like a signal and the golden shield shattered. Bright blue eyes opened as Ichigo sobbed harshly and hugged his son. Grimmjow was there right behind him, enfolding them both in his arms. He gently kissed his child, who squirmed. "Hey, let me go!" Tigre was sounding a little offended and Grimmjow chuckled, gently ruffling his hair as Ichigo smiled.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He asked as he let go of Tigre. His son frowned, looking a lot like him as he thought about it.

"That numero came out of nowhere and grabbed me. Then things felt… really funny. It didn't feel bad." He said slowly before scratching his nose. "Just really weird. Hey, is Starrk okay?" Tigre said as he noticed the disregarded Espada. Grimmjow had dumped him on the floor and Shunsui had gently set Lilinette down beside him, so she was partly draped over his body. "He feels like he's hardly there." Tigre said with a frown. Ichigo looked at Orihime questioningly but she shook her head.

"I can't help him Kurosaki-kun. I'm so tired… I almost couldn't heal him. Something was fighting me. If it had been any longer…" She said and Ichigo swallowed as Grimmjow growled and cuddled Tigre again. Their son growled right back and tried to fight him off, even nipping Grimmjow's arm. The sight of that made Ichigo smile. Their boy felt completely normal now and didn't want to be coddled, but he wasn't aware of how frightened they'd been.

"Forgive me, but we should get Starrk to Unohana then. I know she can treat reiatsu draining and Starrk is supposed to depart for the Living World tomorrow." Shunsui said and Ichigo caught the unspoken concern. If Starrk was late Aizen wouldn't be pleased and his temper seemed to be getting worse and worse. He might understand that this was an attack of the red things but he might not, too.

"I can go with you. Grimm, can you take Tigre home?" Ichigo asked. He was quite sure that Grimmjow wouldn't want to be parted from his son. Not to his surprise, the Espada nodded.

"Yeah, I'll keep 'em safe." He said with a feral growl and Ichigo was sure that if anything unusual dared show itself, it would be torn into very tiny shreds. This time he took Lilinette and Shunsui took Starrk. Kyoraku handled the weight easily, which was impressive. Starrk was not a small man.

When they got them to the Fourth, Unohana wasn't available but one of her seated officers was. After a quick check he assured them that the Primera was just reiatsu drained and it was actually very easy for them to fix. 'Easy to fix' quickly became 'put a retaining collar on him', though, after the first healer to touch Starrk collapsed in a pale heap. Starrk wasn't reaching out, probably because his body was fine, but when offered reiatsu he would take it… all of it. After a suitable collar as placed on him, though, the healers were able to work without risking their own lives. The first healer would live, too, but that was a close thing.

When he was certain the Coyote and his smaller half were going to be fine, Ichigo left the Division. He wanted to get home, wanted to make sure that everyone was still fine. Tigre, Tabitha, Yuzu… even Grimmjow, that thing had almost gotten Starrk… he needed to know they were fine. For almost the first time since his rape at Aizen's hands, he was completely focused outside himself. That helped, it really did. And he finally had Grimmjow back.

Together, they would take care of their family.

* * *

"Ichigo." That warm voice in his ear made him shiver, but it wasn't entirely lust. No, it was fear too. Ichigo couldn't help it, he knew Grimmjow would feel it, but there was nothing he could do. "…What did that fucker do to you?" The Espada asked, his voice a low growl and full of venom. Ichigo shuddered, taking a deep breath.

"Grimm, not here." They were in the living room and Grimm had just started cuddling him. "Later, when the kids are asleep." He said firmly before looking over and seeing the look on the arrancar's face. Grimmjow's blue brows were pulled down and he was frowning angrily, but he could tell the anger wasn't directed at him. It could be, though. Despite everything they'd been through together, Grimmjow was still volatile at times. "I'll tell you everything later." He promised before he gently kissed the Espada. That seemed to gentle his mood and Grimmjow returned the affection, resting a hand on his back for a moment.

"Yeah, later. I'll go help Yuzu with the food. You can go back to that book if you want." He said and Ichigo nodded. He'd been reading before Grimmjow had interrupted him, examining the kido book. He wasn't sure what Yoruichi was planning but she had to be working on something and he wanted to be ready. Although if he was still Claimed by Grimm, he might be forced to fight his own father. Putting that thought out of mind – he couldn't do anything about it – Ichigo went back to his kido book. He was working on the offensive spells today, just memorizing the incantations and doing some basic exercises with the retainers on full power. He wouldn't risk any kind of accident in the house.

Something bit him on the foot and Ichigo almost dropped his book before looking down in shock. Little Tabby was there, looking very pleased with herself. His shock turned into delight and he smiled before putting the book aside and picking her up.

"You're a terrible little girl, you know that?" He told the now crawling baby, who babbled some baby nonsense. "Gwaya? Not sure what that means, sweety. Can you say papi?" The answer was no, of course, but Ichigo smiled as she babbled some more and gently kissed her. "I love you." He whispered to her, smelling the sweet baby smell as he cuddled her close. "But you really shouldn't bite people." He added. Ichigo had a feeling she wouldn't be doing it long anyway. Grimmjow had a very direct way of handling nippy cubs… he nipped them back. It had only taken Tigre biting his other sire once before he'd figured out he shouldn't do that. Ichigo wasn't sure about that parenting technique but he had to admit it worked. The spanking worked too, but Grimmjow was responsible with it. He always made it very clear why Tigre was getting spanked and he made sure it hurt, but not seriously. Ichigo remembered the spanking he'd been given, so long ago. The things Grimm did to Tigre were nothing like that.

Remembering that punishment made him feel depressed and he sighed for a moment before blinking as a little hand touched his cheek. He looked down at little Tabitha and saw brown eyes looking at him, wondering why he was acting so sad? Ichigo forced a smile for her that quickly turned genuine as she smiled back. His children were like a warm light in his heart. Being around them made everything better.

"Itsy-papi!" Tigre jumped on the sofa beside him, making it creak. Ichigo smiled as he saw how big the boy was getting. His clothing was looking a bit too short again, they would have to see if they could take the hems out. Which reminded him, they would be moving to their new place in just a week. Most of it was done, the kido builders worked fast, but there was interior work that needed to be done. "Hey, pay attention!" Tigre said, all too accurately and Ichigo blinked. "Look what I made! Isn't it neat?" His boy offered him… what?

"Oh, a friendship bracelet." It was made with brightly colored embroidery threads, clearly taken from Yuzu's collection. "Where did you learn to do that?" He didn't know and he couldn't imagine Grimmjow had taught their boy that. Maybe Yuzu? But Tigre surprised him.

"Lilinette taught me. I like her a lot, papi." He said and Ichigo remembered how Tigre had followed her. He'd wondered why his son had done that, after the incident with the numero-thing. "It's for you." He said shyly and Ichigo smiled, touched. Looking at the bracelet again he saw Tigre had picked out the colors with care. White, black, orange and red.

"Thank you, I love it. Why don't you put it on for me?" He suggested, shifting Tabby to his other arm and offering Tigre a wrist. The little boy nodded and tied the bracelet in place for him. "…I love you." He suddenly whispered, putting an arm around his son. Tigre squirmed, uncomfortable.

"Please don't get all mushy. I'm fine papi!" He pleaded and Ichigo laughed, letting go. Tigre definitely didn't like being fussed over and he didn't understand that his parents just couldn't help it sometimes. "Papi? What are you reading? Is that your kido stuff? I want to try it!" He said, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Ichigo blinked at the thought.

"You do? Uh… sure." Really, why not? Tigre had already learned how to make a basic cero, although it was weaker than even Lilinette's at the moment. But he would grow into his power and maybe it would be better to start early. "Why don't you come with me to the backyard while they're making supper?" He suggested and Tigre nodded enthusiastically.

So they worked in the backyard for a while and to Ichigo's pleasure and slight annoyance, Tigre took to kido readily. Pleasure because his boy was doing well, but annoyance because everything came so much easier to his boy than it ever had to him. Ichigo paused for a moment, suddenly wondering. His problems had been due to his vast reiryoku. Did this mean Tigre had inherited Grimmjow's strength rather than his?

_Yeah, probably. You're a fucking freak, King. Honestly, it might be better for him if he's more like Grimmjow. And maybe he'll be like Yamamoto, grow into his full strength slowly._ His hollow said and Ichigo nodded. He had a point, having absurd strength then trying to figure out how to release it was a pain in the ass. _I bet Tabby cat's going to be more like you, though. Hierro as a baby? And Szayel said her reiryoku is pretty damned solid for an infant._ That was unusual too, it typically took the babies a while to get any kind of strength.

"Could be. Hey, where have you been?" He asked, a bit distracted from Tigre. "I haven't heard from you for a while." His hollow had been strangely silent. There was a pause before the white psychopath spoke.

_Getting to know someone. You got a problem, King?_ He blinked at the hostility but wisely let it drop. Although who could his hollow be getting acquainted with? Surely he wasn't talking about Zangetsu? No, that was absurd, he already knew the zanpakuto inside out. They lived in the same world after all. As he watched Tigre working on Sai, Ichigo pondered the question. Who could his hollow…

_He has been fraternizing with Pantera._ Zangetsu said in tones of clear disapproval as his hollow yelped. Ichigo's eyes went wide at the thought.

"Pantera?!" He said it out loud and Tigre shot him a confused look. He just smiled and shook his head. Tigre frowned, but then shrugged and went back to his exercises. "Are you serious? What's Pantera like?" He was very curious now. There was a muttered insult, directed at Zangetsu, before his hollow spoke.

_He's fucking cute King. He looks like Grimmjow's released form, but without all the bone, and he wears a white yukata with nothin' underneath. And he's a natural yuke, not like that dominant bastard._ Ichigo blinked at the information. _He says he's Grimmjow's sensitive side or some shit. It's hard for us to get together but I'm still getting more action than I've ever had in my life. Don't fuck this up for me King._

"I… won't. Why would I?" He asked, a bit baffled. Why should he care if his hollow was getting it on with Grimmjow's zanpakuto? Although… "Wait, does Grimmjow know?" Maybe that was what his hollow was worried about, that he would let something slip. There was a huff before his hollow spoke again.

_No and that's how we like it. Pantera thinks he might freak._ Ichigo nodded. That concern made sense. And if Pantera really was Grimm's sensitive side, that might explain why the Espada would be protective of him. It made him wonder, though. Was that why Grimmjow was so tone deaf about human interactions, sometimes? Had he separated out his gentler feelings into his zanpakuto on purpose, or had it just happened that way? Or was Pantera just a reflection of the feelings hidden deep inside?

"Ichi-nii, Tigre-chan, supper's done!" Yuzu called and Tigre abandoned his practice with alacrity. Ichigo followed, breathing in the scent of good food. Tonight it was roasted pork tenderloin in a sweet sauce with apples. There was a side dish of rice and steamed vegetables which everyone tucked into with good appetite. Grimm offered Tabby a few bites of meat but she was uninterested. Milk was all she wanted.

After supper was over they just hung out, laughing and talking. But finally he and Grimmjow went to the bedroom. Ichigo pulled his clothes off with a feeling of dread. Grimmjow was fully healed, now, thanks to Orihime. He would want to be pleasured and Ichigo just didn't want to, not today. It had only been a few days since Aizen… he tried to force that thought out of his mind but it kept coming back. He took a deep breath then almost jumped out of his skin in surprise as warm arms went around him.

"Hey. Calm the fuck down." Grimmjow's voice was unsteady and Ichigo swallowed as he realized he'd been feeding some very bad emotions to the Espada. Insulting ones, too, although Grimm would understand the meaning behind them. "We don't have to fuck if you don't want to." Ichigo blinked at that, surprised. It was very rare for the arrancar to give him a choice, even now. Although typically he didn't want to say no and Grimm knew it. "What did he do to you?" That angry growl was back and Ichigo drew a deep breath, shuddering as he remembered.

"It… hurt, a lot. I lubed up like you said but it didn't really help. He used his power…" Talking about it brought back the memories and he shivered. Grimmjow gently tugged him towards the bed and he went willingly, settling down in the warm blankets with his lover's arms around him. Ichigo sniffed for a moment before resting his head against that broad chest. Grimmjow rubbed his back, lending him comfort.

"Yeah, he does that sometimes. The thing with Aizen is, you never know what he'll want. He likes all kinds of shit… one day it's bondage, another it's making you scream with pleasure, the next it's making you scream with pain… you never really know what you'll get." Grimmjow said in a low tone and Ichigo shuddered at the thought. And the Espada accepted this? He really didn't understand hollows sometimes. "He didn't take you from the front, did he?" Grimmjow suddenly demanded and Ichigo flinched, wincing. He knew this would infuriate his mate.

"He did." He said quietly and saw bright blue eyes darken with rage. "Grimm, we're shinigami. It doesn't really matter." He tried to tell the arrancar, but he knew he was lying to himself. Maybe it was just being so long with Grimmjow and taking in his attitudes, but somehow it did matter.

"It matters to me! You're my mate! He doesn't get to…" Then Grimmjow stopped and Ichigo could almost feel his anguish. Because they didn't have a mating bond, they couldn't, and as long as they didn't Aizen did have the right to do what he wanted. Violating hollow customs would be a grey area in this instance since he and Aizen weren't hollows, but that didn't make things better. "Fuck. I don't know what to say, what to do, how to make this better!" Grimmjow burst out before hugging him tightly. Ichigo gasped a little at the pressure before punching the Espada on the shoulder. Grimm grunted before loosening his grip.

"Grimm… there's nothing you can say or do to make things better. Sometimes, they just have to get better on their own." He said softly. He knew that from his time helping his dad in the clinic. That would be a bitter pill for an active person like Grimmjow to swallow but it was nothing but the truth. "I'll get better. Just give me some time." Ichigo was sure he would get past this. He had his children, a loving mate and honestly, he was no stranger to rape. Grimmjow had always favored a different kind of rape but it still hadn't been consensual. This new experience was painful and scarring but he would recover. The Espada looked at him doubtfully, blue eyes scanning his face. Brown met blue and Ichigo tried to convey his sincerity, both through his expression and the Claim. Grimmjow finally nodded before letting out his breath in a sigh.

"Alright. I guess you're right. Let's go to sleep then." He said, sounding tired and defeated. Ichigo gently squeezed his arm before they curled up together in the bed. The normality of having Grimmjow there, the warm body at his back quickly lulled him to sleep. The days the Espada had been under Unohana's care had been hard for him that way. It had been tough to get to sleep without that warm weight against his back.

He slept deeply and there were no dreams.


	35. Sorry Can't Make it Better

The wind whispered over the ruins of Karakura town, stirring chestnut hair. Soft grey eyes stared away, unseeing, as the owner set his chin in his hand. After a moment of consideration he reached for his bag, pulling out his sketchpad. There was nothing here he wanted to portray but he could just work from memory.

"Ooo. Draw me Starrk, draw me!" A flailing hand went in front of his face and he flinched back, startled. Then the Coyote laughed and gently patted his smaller half on the head.

"Would you like me to draw you as you are now, or back when you were Lily?" He asked and watched her think about it a moment. He knew it wouldn't be difficult for him. Starrk could remember every detail like it was yesterday. Little Lily, her golden curls flying in the breeze… then Lilinette spoke, sounding thoughtful.

"Draw me as Lily. Draw me with you." She demanded and Starrk hesitated. That was more difficult, he'd had no mirrors in the sanitarium and the only reflections he'd seen afterwards had been in the surface of water, usually after a rain. Then he shrugged to himself. His arrancar appearance was almost identical to his looks as a mortal man, especially once he'd shed his body of flesh. Soul bodies reflected the reiatsu of the occupant and while he hadn't learned to control it well, his potential had been vast. Alive, he'd been gaunt and wasted from his long imprisonment, but dead he'd been gifted with physical perfection. Another irony in his life.

So he drew them together. In his picture, they were both sitting on a crumbling wall. He didn't portray it – that would be much better with his paints – but Starrk knew they were watching the sun rise. He devoted himself to portraying them, capturing the essence of the moment. The clothing and other details were almost an afterthought, mere sketches of rough homespun. Then there was a soft ding from Szayel's monitor and Starrk looked at it with a frown before standing in a fluid motion. The sketchpad was put aside in favor of a drawn sword.

"It's just them." Lilinette said unnecessarily as two of the Visored stepped out of the shadows. It was the one he had saved, Kensei, and the one with green hair. Starrk opted to keep his sword out but pointed downwards as he frowned at them thoughtfully. Something… wasn't quite right. And Szayel's monitor was beeping. "Stupid thing says there's one of the red things close." Lilinette muttered as Starrk glanced around, his frown deepening. There was nothing he could see.

"Can you put it on mute?" He said, preoccupied. Perhaps the machine was malfunctioning although it hadn't before… "You want the latest news?" They had been there for a week. There had been a few messages from Soul Society, mostly from his pets under the guise of keeping him informed about the babies. Szayel could read the messages and likely did, but he wouldn't see anything odd about a bit of gossip along with baby things.

"If you could." Kensei asked with studious politeness. Starrk had the feeling that the man was wary of him, but he simply nodded. It was safe enough for him to meet with the Visored like this, they'd checked the towers thoroughly and they had no cameras or other observational equipment. And Yammy was far away, on the fourth tower.

"There's not really much to tell." Starrk started, but as he spoke he noticed that the green haired girl was edging closer to the tower. Why was she doing that? He honestly didn't like it. Then Lilinette shoved her shoulder against him gently.

"Starrk, remember the way we felt when that thing tried to eat us?" She said and he glanced down before blinking. Her usually pink eye had a reddish tinge. "If you try really hard you can do it again. And she looks really funny." His other half whispered. Kensei was noticing that his attention was elsewhere.

"Is something wrong?" He asked as Starrk sidled to the side a bit, putting himself in a better spot to stop her if the green haired shinigami tried anything.

"I'm… not sure." He knew he sounded lost and confused, but that was better than anything else he could think of. Quickly trying to find that mental state he'd been in before, Starrk was shocked to find that he could slip into it nearly effortlessly.

When he did, he saw what Lilinette meant. The shinigami woman wasn't right at all. There was something stuck to the base of her neck. It was tiny and red and to his 'other sight', it looked like a bug. And he had absolutely no doubt what it was doing.

"Get back!" He snapped before lunging at the woman with his sword. "Stay away!" He didn't want to kill her, he truly didn't. But she was trying to reach the tower. To do what, he wasn't sure, but it wouldn't be good. The defenses weren't keeping her out like they would one of the bugs, probably because she was shinigami as well.

"Kuno!" Starrk heard Kensei call as the woman reached up and pulled down her mask. It reminded him of an insect. Then she attacked him full force and he had to defend himself against furious blows. His sword creaked alarmingly and Starrk gritted his teeth. His weapon was not a zanpakuto and even real zanpakuto could break. He needed more.

"Kick about, Los Lobos!" He called on his other half. But instead of using his guns, he stuck them in his belt of wolf skins and leapt for the girl. They fought hand to hand and while Starrk was no master of that style of combat, he was faster. Then a blade of air flew at him and he had to leap back, but the girl did too.

"Mashiro, Starrk, what are you doing? Have you both lost your minds?" Kensei demanded as the Primera kept moving, keeping himself between Mashiro and the tower. She kept trying to get past him, jockeying for position.

"She's under the Red Queen's control." Starrk said, his voice tight with tension as she feinted back and forth. She was determined to get past him but knew she had to be clever. Suddenly she sprang, trying to go over him but he caught her ankle on the way past. "HAH!" Yanking her around, Starrk slammed her to the ground. She hit with stunning force but rolled over… directly into his fist, which sent mask fragments flying. For a moment he saw wide, surprised brown eyes. Then she suddenly convulsed, her eyes rolling back into her head. "No!" He saw what was happening but there was no stopping it. The Red Queen was sacrificing her pawn… blue light grew around her body and Starrk knew that if he let the explosion happen he would survive it but the tower likely wouldn't. So he did the only thing he could do.

He drew his gun and shot her in the head. The cero obliterated her skull and part of her body, leaving nothing but a half-charred corpse. Starrk had no time for regrets before an enraged Kensei was on him. He was left fending the man off, trying desperately not to kill him.

"How could you! We should never have trusted you!" The shinigami screamed at him and Starrk couldn't think of a thing to say. Hadn't he seen the explosion about to happen? It would likely have killed him. But there were tears on the Visored's face. Yes, he'd seen, but he'd cared for that girl. The Coyote could understand perfectly.

That understanding almost got him killed, because Kensei was a former taichou and no one to take lightly. He pulled on his mask and went at Starrk with full force. The Coyote tried to fight him with his fists, just like Mashiro, but quickly realized he was outmatched. That was a fighting style Kensei excelled at and he just didn't. A good, solid blow to the belly bent him over and he just barely avoided the follow up blow that could have crushed his throat. Then he drew his guns again, breathing hard as he began to fight in earnest. Starrk still didn't want to kill, but he couldn't let the Visored kill him either.

Their battle, though, was drawing attention. Yammy suddenly appeared, getting into the action with a laugh. Starrk's heart ached as the Visored glared at him, leaping back as Yammy began to toss bala at him. Kensei vanished in a burst of shunpo and Starrk closed his eyes for a moment, lowering his guns. His alliance with the Visored might have just come to a sad and ignoble end. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his resurrection to fade. Lilinette reappeared, very quiet and downcast. Starrk looked over the dead body, wishing he could properly take care of it. But he couldn't because –

"Good work, Starrk! Never thought you had it in you. Want me to take care of that?" Yammy asked and Starrk sighed internally. He had no reason to demand an honorable burial for her. Cremation would just have to do.

"If you could." Yammy's cero was far less powerful in his sealed form and he hadn't released, for the simple reason that the tower was delicate and his release was huge. The less powerful cero would leave ashes behind. Starrk watched emotionlessly as his fellow Espada incinerated the body. "Thank you. I doubt they'll be back anytime soon." And if they did come back it would probably be to kill him. Yammy departed, clearly pleased with himself, and once he was gone Starrk went through his art supplies. Dumping his pastels out of their pouch, he used it to gather up the girl's ashes.

Then he sat down on the edge of the tower, Lilinette in his arms. As she hugged him, lending him comfort, the Coyote quietly wept.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Starrk said remorsefully to the cat with the golden eyes. She just looked at him and he could read nothing at all in her body language. Cats really didn't have facial expressions so that didn't work either. "I have her ashes. I gathered them for you. I couldn't keep the body, Yammy would have thought it was strange… I'm sorry." He tasted the uselessness of those words and almost hated himself. When he'd been a small boy, he'd wanted to be a gunslinger. But his father had laughed and told him that gunslingers were killers. That was what gunslinging meant… drawing your weapon and killing, again and again. And it had saddened him but he'd agreed with his father, that he hadn't wanted to be that kind of man. When had it happened? When had he become someone who killed, without hesitation? Although he did still feel remorse. "I'm sorry." He dropped his head, almost wishing he was dead. Lilinette sniffled, rubbing her nose as she stood beside him. When his other half was in emotional pain, she usually became very silent. Yoruichi finally sighed and stood, padding closer on silent feet.

"I know. It took a while for Kensei to calm down, but we did get the full story out of him. He admitted that Mashiro was about to set off some kind of kido explosion before you shot her. Everyone is still very angry with you but we understand. However, we have to know. How did you know she was under outside control?" Yoruichi asked. "Kisuke has checked all of us for abnormalities but we don't know what we're looking for."

"Oh, that." Starrk hesitated a moment. How to explain? "You remember what I told you about the incident with the numero-thing that almost devoured Tigre?" He'd told her about it but left out the part about his strange revelation. He hadn't really thought it was important but then, he'd had no idea there were lingering effects. Yoruichi nodded. "It punched a hand through Lilinette's chest." Her eyes widened a bit at that. "I grabbed her and we partially merged. We saw… something very strange. It was like seeing the fabric of reality." He said, trying his best to explain. "Now it seems we can call up that sight when we want to… it's rather unnerving though. There are many things that are impossible to understand." Keeping that 'sight' active for too long made Starrk feel like his brain was creaking. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. "When I looked at Mashiro I saw a red bug, right here." He pointed to the back of his neck. "It was fused with her spine and controlling her actions. If you bring the other Visored to me I can check them for you." He offered and Yoruichi nodded, a touch pensively.

"We'll think about it." Her tone was reserved and Starrk looked down. He imagined that the Visored didn't want to go anywhere near him. "The records of the Red Queen from the Kuchiki archives didn't mention this."

"Times change. And I think, looking back on it, perhaps they did. They mentioned how the cult members had changed and gained strange abilities. I wonder if they might have had these things in their bodies." Starrk said tiredly and Yoruichi tilted her head to one side, considering it. "They just didn't know exactly what was happening."

"Hm, that could be true. Well, I think I've taken enough of your time for now. Unless there's any important news?" She asked and Starrk shook his head. The only interesting news he'd gotten was a report about Ichigo's condition – he seemed to be getting better – and a rather cryptic message from Shunsui, something about his clan wanting a favor from them both. That clearly had nothing to do with the Visored and the other escapees. Starrk had no idea what was behind it, but he imagined he'd find out when he got back. "Can I have those ashes?" She asked and Starrk nodded, pulling the bag out. He carefully tied a few knots in it, making it easy for the cat to lift in her mouth. She vanished then and the Coyote looked after her mournfully. Lilinette tugged on his arm and he looked down at her.

"It's not your fault Starrk. Really, it's not." She whispered and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I know." He whispered. He did know that. He'd had no choice… but it still hurt him, cruelly. "When did I become a killer Lily? I never wanted to be this way." Even the hollows that had attacked him and his family… he'd never killed them, not once. Of course, he hadn't known how, but even if he had would he have done it? Starrk wasn't sure. Killing just wasn't part of his nature.

"When I ate you, Lupe." Lily said and he blinked, realizing that she was crying. It was soundless but tears were slowly trickling down her face. "Hollows are killers, we have to be. I'm so sorry. I was the one who wanted revenge and stuff, but you never did. You shouldn't have been this way and it's all my fault."

"Oh Lilinette." Starrk embraced her, cuddling his other half as she sniffled quietly. "It's not your fault. It was just fate. Or maybe we can blame kami." He added and that made Lilinette quietly giggle, as he'd known it would.

"Blame Aizen, you mean? He wasn't even kami then and gosh, Starrk, I can't see how he had anything to do with us going hollow!" She said and he smiled. She was right, that was one thing they could never lay at Aizen's feet. "Maybe we could blame him anyway. Nah, blame the old Soul King! If he hadn't fucked us over so bad maybe he'd still be alive, yah?"

"Could be." Starrk agreed, cuddling her close. "If those shinigami had sent out a taichou to take care of us…" It had probably felt like overkill to them, though, having a taichou come to send on a particularly obstinate plus soul. But one of the shinigami who had tried had been a fukutaichou and Starrk had crushed him just like the others. A taichou's power would have been required to corral his runaway reiatsu. "Ah well. We're here now, we're both hollows and that's just how things are." There was no point in lamenting it further. The guilt would still sting at him, but Starrk knew he needed to let it go. Lilinette nodded before speaking.

"Can you finish your drawing, Starrk? I want to see us together. Those were such good times, when we were ghosts together." She requested and Starrk's eyes went dark for a moment as he remembered. How sad it was, that the best time in both their 'lives' had come after they were dead. Shaking away that pain he reached for his paper and pencils. He'd finish that drawing for Lilinette then work on something else, something more cheerful. Perhaps a drawing of Toshiro and Guadalupe.

There was no pain attached to his children, not yet.

* * *

Starrk let his eyesight drop into that red filmed, twilight world again. It didn't take very long before he blinked and shook his head.

"Everyone is fine." This was the last group of the Visored and other escapees. Hiyori was glaring at him and Kensei just looked tired. Starrk was sure he was in great pain. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am." He said quietly and Hiyori spat on the ground in front of him. Starrk just kept his attention on Kensei. He knew the fiery girl would always hate him, this had just validated her feelings.

"I don't know how to feel about you anymore." Kensei did sound exhausted. Starrk looked down, swallowing. "You saved my life and then you killed my fukutaichou. She might have driven me crazy, most of the time, but I did care for her." His grief was tangible. Starrk wished he could reach out, do something to comfort the man, but he knew better. He was the cause of that pain, there was nothing he could do to ease it.

Lilinette, though, was a different matter. She might be his other half but she also appeared to be a young girl. She hugged Kensei for him and the shinigami stiffened for a moment before slowly putting his arms around her.

"Oi! She's just part of him, Kensei!" Hiyori protested but the other Visored shook his head.

"Be quiet, Hiyori." He said. She scowled and suddenly swiped at Lilinette, who was forced to let go and jump back. "Hiyori!"

"Stay away from him." She hissed at Lilinette, who just ran back to Starrk, sniffling. He put an arm around his smaller half and gave the smaller Visored a frown. "You've done enough!" She spat and Starrk sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. It was a measure of how badly they felt, that Lilinette wasn't cursing or threatening the girl, just huddling against him. Kensei shook his head.

"I think we're done here. Come on, Hiyori." He said and the two of them left, although Hiyori kept sending them glares as she walked. Starrk ignored her, concentrating on comforting his smaller half. Lilinette was sniffling and he knew it was partly his fault. They were feeding off each other, deepening their grief and guilt. They had to get over that. The emotion was deserved but ultimately, it did no good.

Just like Kensei, they had to go on.

* * *

Byakuya shuddered internally as a tongue swiped his throat.

He'd been very grateful for his reprieve from Yammy's horrid attentions. Unfortunately, that reprieve was over. The tenth and the first had both returned from their stint in the Living World. That meant he would be raped again and likely repeatedly. Yammy was rarely satisfied with just once, especially after a long period of forced abstinence.

"Yammy… if you're going to demand I come here, it would be nice of you to pay attention to me." A slow, lazy voice drawled and Byakuya looked up in surprise. Starrk was leaning against a nearby wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing his original uniform, which was far more concealing than the newer jackets he favored. He looked sleepy but Byakuya caught a glint of bright intelligence in those grey eyes. It made him wonder why he'd never noticed it before. The other times he'd seen Starrk, he'd seemed uninterested in everything around him. Now, beneath his sleepy demeanor, Byakuya was getting a completely different feeling from the Primera. "Now, what do you want? Your note was rather cryptic." Byakuya doubted Yammy could do 'cryptic' intentionally. From Starrk's dry tone, he felt the same.

"I want one of your pets." The brute stated baldly and Byakuya flinched at the thought. It was wretched enough being forced to have sex with this monster. To be forced to see one of his fellow taichou being raped, forced to participate… the very thought made him shudder in disgust. Fortunately, Starrk didn't much care for the idea either.

"We've already discussed this, Yammy. I am not interested in sharing my pets with you. You're too rough." Starrk said, an edge of warning to his calm voice. But Yammy wasn't one to catch subtleties and he thought he had something to work with.

"Yeah? Well, what if I tell Aizen about how you were standing there chatting with those fucking Visored?" Yammy taunted and there was a flash of surprise and something else on the Coyote's face. Fear? But everyone dreaded Aizen's temper these days. "Why didn't you just blow the fuckers up, hey? You did good with that first chick. What the fuck's wrong with you, Starrk? You're all talk, no action."

"They just came to trash talk, Yammy." Starrk said, dropping his arms to his sides as he straightened. "It was nothing important and any fight endangers the towers. What were you doing watching this? You were supposed to be guarding your own towers." Starrk said and Yammy just shrugged.

"Eh, I had the monitor shit of Szayel's. And those bugs are getting thin on the ground." He said and Starrk shook his head slightly, as if disagreeing with that assessment. Byakuya wondered what the things looked like, although he'd seen the pictures from his own archives. After Starrk and the others had gone, he'd looked up the Red Queen. "I bet you'd get in a lot more trouble than me. Aizen knows you're a fucking talker, always trying to yap your way out of a fight." Yammy taunted and Byakuya bit his lip, looking down. That was certainly true. Starrk closed his eyes and rested a gloved hand in his hair. Byakuya had the horrible feeling that the Coyote was about to give in. He was notoriously lazy, it would be the path of least resistance to give in the Yammy's demands.

"I refuse." That made him blink and Yammy looked confused that his ploy hadn't worked. Starrk lowered his hand and opened his eyes again. They were cold and stern, matching the expression on his face. That look made Byakuya certain of one thing. The Coyote wasn't lazy anymore. "My pets are not suitable for you. Juushiro is too delicate and Shunsui would not be to your taste. I'll do it myself." He said flatly and Byakuya swallowed at the thought. That meant… Yammy was the one to put it into words.

"Hey, you can't! You said you'd kill my pet if you tried!" He said and Byakuya wondered if Starrk actually considered that acceptable. The Primera sighed before shrugging.

"I might, I might not. He's like Grimmjow, just on the edge of being acceptable for me. Mmm… but I have an idea. Szayel can easily make me a retaining collar. I can use that." He said and Byakuya frowned. While it wasn't a problem for shinigami – their reiatsu was far less destructive – he understood the Coyote's problem and how it worked. Reiatsu exploded violently at the moment of climax and for hollows, that could easy kill a weaker partner. For a retaining collar to stop that, it would have to be extremely constricting. Yammy understood that and laughed.

"You'd do that? Shit, you wouldn't have any fucking hierro! You couldn't even do a bala! Why in fuck would you do something like that?" The thug asked and Starrk's eyes flicked to Byakuya for a moment. He wasn't sure what he saw in those grey orbs. Sadness? Something tired and pained. Then the Coyote looked back at the tenth Espada.

"It's called compassion, Yammy. Nothing you would understand. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to Szayel." He said before reaching up to scratch his hair. "I'll send you a butterfly when it's ready. I would imagine it will be about a week." Starrk said and Yammy nodded.

"Yeah, fine. If you're crazy I don't care and I'd love to stick my cock in your ass." The thug said with a leer and Starrk's expression tightened for a moment, disgust flashing across his face. Byakuya could understand that perfectly. He felt the exact same way. Although it only made the Espada's conduct more baffling to him. Did he truly care for Juushiro and Shunsui enough that he would subject himself to this? Byakuya had already known that other Espada ran their households differently than his 'master' did, but he would never have imagined an arrancar degrading themselves this way. Starrk showed himself out without a word and Byakuya stared after him, speechless. Then that tongue swiped him again and he shuddered. Yammy didn't care if the movement was an expression of disgust rather than desire and he was quickly shoved onto his belly. Byakuya set any thoughts of the Coyote aside as he prepared himself to endure another brutal rape.

He could only survive the present. He had no power to affect the future.


	36. A Coyote's Hate

_Some time in the past, before Starrk returned to Soul Society…_

Grimmjow looked at the warm body beside him, feeling a combination of anger and helplessness.

He wanted to fuck Ichigo. That was all there was to it. His body had needs and his mate was here beside him, beautiful and fuckable. But he wasn't. Ichigo was still suffering, still in pain. Every time he touched the teen with the intent to mate him, dark emotions flooded the Claim. It was frustrating and it made him want to do something, anything to fix it. But he couldn't. His wife had taught him that, so long ago… some things just couldn't be fixed. All you could do was be patient and listen.

But he wasn't that man anymore and patience hadn't ever been his strong point. Grimmjow growled and saw Ichigo's shoulders stiffen. That hurt and suddenly he had his hands on that pale skin, giving that warm throat an admonishing nip. Fear nibbled at him through the Claim, followed closely by dread and a kind of disgust. Grimmjow was inspiring the emotions so he could have ignored them, filtered them out, but he didn't. Ichigo was his mate, not his slave, not anymore. And a mate deserved more consideration than that.

"Fuck! I want you so fucking bad." He said in the teen's ear and saw him swallow. Too bad it wasn't from desire. He ran his hand down over that beautiful body, pausing to touch Ichigo's inner thigh. Another shiver. How could he help his mate get past this?

An idea suddenly came to him. It was stunning in its simplicity and Grimmjow wondered if it could work. It was definitely worth a try. If it didn't work out, the only thing that would be bruised would be his pride.

"Grimm?" Ichigo sounded confused as he slipped off the bed. The Espada paused with a chuckle, kissing him for a moment.

"Close your eyes." He ordered, using the Claim. Ichigo looked confused but did as he was told and Grimmjow went to the closet. It took a bit of sorting – it wasn't every day wear, hell no – but he found that orange and gold kimono. Pulling it on he tried to belt it up properly. "Hmm… oh yeah." He left the room then, going to the kitchen. Yuzu had a bouquet of flowers. He shamelessly stole a daisy, nipping it off and putting it behind his ear. Not exactly what a girl would wear but it would just have to do. Then he went back into the bedroom, sliding onto the bed. Ichigo was looking puzzled and a bit irritated, his eyes still closed. "You can look." He purred, his voice a seductive rasp. Ichigo opened his eyes and stared. "Let me be your little geisha girl." Grimmjow knew he was probably absolutely mangling Japanese culture, but all the better. It would make this funnier. "You can fuck me right into the bed. I'm just dying for your hot cock." That was actually kind of true. He was so horny right now, he didn't give a rat's ass which end he was on. Ichigo choked before beginning to laugh.

"Grimm! You are insane!" He managed to say and Grimmjow grinned as he felt the joy of laughter fuzzing through the Claim. That was more like it. "Are you serious?!"

"I am so fucking serious. Make me your sex slave. Do me any way you want." He said sincerely and that set off another gale of laughter. "Oi! You want me to take it back?" He said, putting on a pout and crossing his arms. Then Ichigo looked up and there was finally some fire in those brown eyes.

"Oh no, you don't get to take it back." He said just before moving. Grimmjow grinned as he was pounced and shoved onto his back. Normally that would have pissed him off a bit – he liked being the dominant in their matings – but right now, he just wanted Ichigo to feel better. This definitely seemed to be working. Those hands were on him, exploring him and Grimmjow arched into that feeling, growling softly. "Hmm, how will I do you?" Ichigo asked and the Espada grinned.

"With your cock, I hope." He said and there was another laugh. Oh yeah, he was on a roll. "I'd hate it if you tried to do me with your toes or something, that wouldn't be right." Although maybe he could suck Ichigo's toes sometime. That wasn't something he was hugely into but he'd used it before, once or twice… then blunt teeth were making their mark on his throat and Grimmjow gasped, wrapping his arms around well-muscled shoulders.

"I'll get to that eventually." Ichigo said, his brown eyes smoldering. Then he smiled and it was actually pretty evil. "Get on your hands and knees, geisha girl." Grimmjow's lip curled a little at that but he moved into the right position. Then Ichigo swept the kimono to the side and Grimmjow blinked as he felt warm breath on an unusual spot.

"!" He huffed out a breath as a warm, flexible tongue began to tease him in a familiar way. He'd done this to Ichigo but never ordered him to do it back, and never dreamed he'd do it on his own. That tongue dipped into his opening, making him growl softly and half-close his eyes. That felt good, really good. "Ah shit, deeper, unh…" He wanted to feel more. Of course, a tongue could only go so far… Grimmjow groaned softly as that wet heat was replaced with well-lubed fingers, stretching him out properly.

"Shit, you're tight Grimm." Ichigo murmured in his ear, making him shiver. He would be tight, it had been a while since they'd done this. "I can't wait to feel you around my cock." That took his breath away for a moment before he chuckled, a low, harsh sound.

"Getting the hang of dirty talk, shinigami – ah, shit – " Grimmjow growled and jerked as questing fingers found his prostate, slowly massaging him. That felt excellent and it got better as Ichigo reached under him, running a well-lubed hand over his dick. The feeling of being pumped and penetrated… yeah, it was good. "Mmm, cock please." He knew it could get better. He grinned as he heard Ichigo's breathe catch.

"I've never seen you in a mood like this." Ichigo sounded a bit breathless and Grimmjow blinked as he thought about it. He was in kind of a strange mood tonight, but then, he was finally getting Ichigo out of his funk and feeling a lot of laughter on top of it. Whatever, self-contemplation wasn't something he cared about anyway.

"I'm just horny as hell. Do me, Ichigo." He purred and the teen – actually, not a teen anymore, young man – gasped before gripping his hips and sliding inside. Grimmjow moaned softly at the feeling of being penetrated, filled so much more fully than fingers could ever manage. It definitely felt good. Ichigo was well hung and his walls flexed, expanding to accommodate that length.

"Shit, you feel so good like this." Ichigo said before pulling out and pounding back in. Grimmjow hissed then gasped as blunt teeth found his throat. "I wish I could… unh…" Grimmjow could easily fill that in, especially with the way Ichigo's reiatsu was rising around them. It felt like that dark power was caressing his skin, just looking for a way inside.

"Wish you could too… unh…" Although he'd want that from the front, a proper mating Claim. Grimmjow grunted as that thick length kept working over his insides, finding his prostate and nailing it with surprising accuracy. Surprising because Ichigo didn't really have a lot of practice at this… "Ah shit, do that again!" He groaned and his partner obliged, his breath warm and heavy against his neck. Grimmjow shivered as the shinigami began nipping him, leaving little red marks despite the hierro. Displays of ownership, they would quickly fade but he still welcomed it. Then that hard cock grated against his prostate and Grimmjow made a wanton sound that surprised even him. But he was enjoying it and Ichigo was his mate. Why shouldn't he make sounds?

A warm hand encircled his cock and began jerking him off, making the Espada jolt and gasp. That felt excellent and, glancing down, he could see the droplets of pearly cum weeping from his erection as Ichigo's hand tormented him. The speed of their coupling increased, more hard jolts delivered to his prostate, but Grimmjow wasn't going to let this end too soon. No, he was going to make Ichigo work for it.

"What was it you said to me? I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't walk right for a week." That warm promise in his ear almost made the Espada cum. He gasped harshly, his whole body trembling as that hand worked him over as the length inside his body tormented him mercilessly.

"You think you… can? Go for it… ah!" Grimmjow cursed as Ichigo thumbed the head of his cock, sending more beads of cum onto the bed. "Unnnhhh." He was getting close, too close. Grimmjow closed his eyes, trying to think of something unpleasant but not too unpleasant – Yammy naked in the showers might make him lose his erection – then he gasped as Ichigo bit him on the throat. That mild pain made the heat in his groin throb, brought him so close to orgasm…

"Cum for me Grimm. I want to see your face." That did it. He pulled his lips back in a feral snarl as his body was rocked with the force of his orgasm. His whole body seemed to wrap around it, engulfed in the pleasure. "Ah shit!" Ichigo cursed as those velvety walls around his cock went tight. Grimmjow felt the way his breathing suddenly went ragged, the jagged, forceful thrusts before the body behind him went still. He panted harshly as he felt that spreading warmth inside his anal cavity. It didn't bother him a bit. No, this was right, the way things should be with his mate. Then Ichigo slowly pulled away from him and Grimmjow sighed softly, slumping down on his side. He was completely exhausted.

"That was so good." Ichigo whispered as he curled up behind the Espada. Grimmjow opened his eyes, smiling slightly. That was usually his spot, curling up behind his mate, but what the hell. They'd already switched spots for sex, why not for this too. "Thanks Grimm."

"Thanks? I should be thanking you. You're pretty good at that." He said drowsily and Ichigo laughed softly. "I still want to do you tomorrow." This was nice but he did want to get inside his mate's body again. A warm hand stroked his side for a moment before Ichigo spoke softly in his ear.

"Count on it." With that promise and the heat behind it, Grimmjow yawned and let himself drift away to sleep.

* * *

_The present._

Starrk looked at the item in his hands as if it was a particularly rotten piece of half-composted vegetable matter. Then he sighed audibly before looking up at the Octava. He was giving the Coyote a very curious look.

"Thank you." He said as politely as possible. It was hard, thanking Szayel for this, but he had requested it. The Octava hesitated before deciding to be direct.

"You're acting like I just gave you the weapon that will be used to execute you. May I ask what's wrong?" He asked and Starrk thought about not telling him. Then he decided it would be pointless. Yammy wasn't discreet and he would brag about his conquest. He wouldn't say how it had come about – he wouldn't want to get in trouble with Aizen either – but soon everyone would know that the Tenth had managed to dominate the Primera.

"Yammy has… convinced me to play with him and his pet." Starrk said distastefully and Szayel shuddered dramatically at the thought. "This is required to stifle my reiatsu." That was the only reason he would wear it, although if things among the arrancar hadn't been so cut throat it might have had other applications. It even had variable settings, much like Kurosaki's bracelets. In fact, it was essentially the same design although Starrks' version was a heavy collar. It needed to be larger, to hold everything required to deal with his dark and hungry reiatsu.

"Oh. In that case, I apologize for being so efficient." Szayel said with what sounded like genuine sympathy. But then, he did occasionally entertain Aizen. No one else was clever enough or stupid enough to try to force Szayel into their bed, though. Starrk briefly wished he had a reputation for vengefulness. But no, he was the lazy Coyote who would let anything pass. "You know, I could just say that your reiatsu is too much for any retaining collar to hold." Szayel offered, adjusting his glasses. Starrk actually considered it for a moment. But then Yammy would keep harping on letting him take one of his pets. The thought of letting that brutal cretin touch one of his mates left him feeling cold and sick.

"No. Then he would demand the use of one of my pets and Juushiro is too sick while Shunsui is too dominant." Starrk knew Yammy would either hate Shunsui or like him very much. Both would be extremely bad for the shinigami man and Starrk could never, ever put him through such an ordeal. Juushiro might actually cope with Yammy better, in some ways… his demeanor was less likely to set the bastard off… but his sickness made it unacceptable. Szayel nodded.

"Unohana actually came to me for help with your pet. I'm trying to come up with a way to regenerate his damaged lung tissue." That made Starrk blink and he looked at Szayel hopefully. But the scientist grimaced. "I would never have believed how difficult it is! Nearly as difficult as the task Aizen has set for me, and I can't give it as much time." Szayel sounded a touch exhausted and Starrk suddenly wondered how his life was going. Probably not too well, Aizen would certainly punish him if he thought he wasn't putting enough effort into his quest to make a child. No doubt he'd farmed out the work to make the Coyote's collar to some underling.

"Well, I shouldn't distract you any further." Starrk said, tucking the collar away. Szayel nodded, a touch sadly. But then the Octava brightened and the Coyote smiled as they both heard the soft cry of a tiny child. "Ah, your daughter. We should arrange a play date when she's older." She was almost the same age as his twins and little Tabitha.

"Yes, indeed. Now, if you'll excuse me…" They parted ways then, Szayel going back to his projects while Starrk left to go home. On the way, he summoned a hell butterfly to inform Yammy of his success. They would have to arrange a time to meet that wouldn't affect his duties too much. Starrk thought it was safe to assume he would be unfit for duty when Yammy finished with him. The collar would make him ridiculously vulnerable to injury and the Tenth had never been noted for restraint. Sighing to himself, Starrk tried to take comfort from the fact that Byakuya was alive and still mostly functional. So Yammy was unlikely to kill or even cripple him.

It really wasn't that comforting a thought.

* * *

Byakuya watched with sick dread as the Coyote began to disrobe.

If he'd been even remotely interested in men, it might have been interesting. Starrk was almost the ideal of masculine perfection. He was lean and toned, very well-muscled but not overly so. His skin was warm and sun-kissed, not entirely pale but not deeply tanned. His face was extremely handsome, fit to make most women swoon. And it might have been slightly fanciful, but to Byakuya those calm grey eyes seemed to speak of a sensitive soul, one who would never enjoy dishing out pain. Those eyes turned towards him and he met them, seeing a quiet sadness there. The Coyote didn't want to be here but he'd come anyway. Why?

"Well? What do you think? He's a pretty one, isn't he?" Byakuya flinched internally as Yammy roughly squeezed his rump. He was on the bed, already naked, his body displayed to the two Espada. "He's a great fuck, too." Starrk's eyes flickered and although his expression stayed serene, Byakuya thought he saw disgust there.

"Yammy, please. Just tell me what you want." The Primera sounded tired and Yammy scowled, sitting back on his haunches. That let Byakuya see all of him, not that he wanted to. He was ugliness personified and having Starrk as a contrast only made it worse. Then the thug suddenly grinned.

"I want you to play with him, fuck him like you would your own pets. I know you, you probably kiss them and shit, yah?" Yammy laughed and a bit of distress made it through the Coyote's mask. "Do they kiss you back? I've been wondering about those two. Maybe they like it when you fuck them, ya?" Byakuya felt cold at the insinuation, then he flushed with rage. How dare he say something like that about two taichou, men he deeply respected? "I bet they fuck each other. I bet – "

"Yammy, you're ruining what little mood exists. Do you plan to just watch?" Starrk asked, his voice that familiar, lazy drawl. But there was just a hint of something dark and dangerous in the tone. Byakuya only noticed due to his familiarity with noble intrigues. So much could be read from very slight inflections. Yammy shook his head, easily diverted from his lewd fantasies.

"I'm gonna watch for a while, then fuck you while you fuck him." He said and Starrk nodded. "So get started, yah?" He said, ignoring the fact that he'd been the one delaying things. Starrk crawled onto the bed and Byakuya swallowed, closing his eyes.

What followed was only minimally unpleasant. If the Primera had been a woman and he hadn't been a sexual slave, it could have been arousing. Those hands on his skin were shockingly gentle, nothing like Yammy's bruising touch. Warm lips toyed with him, exploring his throat as those hands roamed across the planes of his body. Then the Coyote was kissing him and Byakuya didn't resist, opening his mouth and letting it happen. The kiss was passionate and gentle and reminded him a bit of his late wife. Although it felt oddly like he was in her place here. The Primera was touching him in a way that reminded him of himself, so long ago…

Then Starrk was moving and Byakuya opened his eyes in puzzlement. Then he flinched in surprise as wet heat surrounded his member. He controlled himself, ruthlessly suppressing any sounds. Yammy had never done this to him, not that he would want such pleasure from him. But from Starrk, who actually seemed to care, it wasn't bad. Again, it brought his late wife to mind. Although Hisana had rarely done this for him… then Yammy laughed, his thick chuckle breaking the illusion.

"You do that to your pets? I knew it. You're a fucking sap Starrk." Byakuya felt the Primera hesitate a moment. Then he clearly decided he didn't care what Yammy thought because what followed next was a deep throating of his erection. Byakuya closed his eyes and bit his lip, struggling to hide his pleasure. "Although that's a nice look on his face. This is making me hot." The suction stopped and Byakuya almost groaned as the Coyote pulled away for a moment.

"Yammy, please be quiet. You're breaking the illusion." Starrk said and Byakuya blinked in surprise at the strange echoing of his own thoughts. But who was the Primera imagining him to be? Shunsui, Juushiro or someone else entirely? Then the man was going back down on his cock and he had to stifle a groan. His body didn't care if it was a man sucking him off and Yammy rarely gave him any satisfaction. He couldn't have stopped himself from reacting even if he'd wanted to. A warm hand encircled his balls, fondling them as the Coyote's tongue wrapped around his length. The man was very good at this…

Before he could cum, the Espada pulled away. Byakuya wasn't surprised when he was quietly asked to roll onto his belly. Yammy never took him in any way other than that and from what little he'd been able to gather, it was a cultural thing for hollows. He obeyed the command – it was a command even if it had been phrased as a request – and blinked as Starrk's hand ran through his hair, using it almost as a curtain to shield his face. The Primera didn't want to see his expressions? Perhaps he wanted to maintain the illusion that he was having sex with someone else. If so, Byakuya could certainly understand. He wished he could have maintained the impression that he was having sex with Hisana, but this position was alien to that.

Then warm fingers were parting his cheeks and Byakuya grit his teeth, closing his eyes. This was the part he hated the most. He was not interested in men and he did not like having anything there, invading that part of himself. There was a soft sigh behind him and Byakuya sensed that Starrk had picked up on his reluctance. But neither of them had a choice and the Primera at least did a much better job preparing him than Yammy ever did. Then the Espada's length was pushing past that ring of muscle and Byakuya hissed softly in pain. Warm lips caressed the back of his neck as a hand encircled his cock, stroking him back to full stiffness. The Coyote was doing everything he could to make this pleasant for him. Unfortunately, he could only do so much. Byakuya felt the jolt and heard a hiss above him. He could easily guess what was happening… Yammy was joining them. He swallowed as he heard Starrk speak. The Espada sounded faint and in pain.

"Yammy, please remember that I have no hierro." He said and that made Byakuya wince a bit to himself. It had taken Yammy some time to remember that HE had no hierro, so he could imagine what Starrk was feeling. There was a grunt behind them.

"Shaddup." Then they were moving. Yammy was setting the pace and it was quick. Byakuya gasped as that length plunged into him, likely not in the manner Starrk would have preferred. But that hand stayed on his erection, still stroking and teasing him, attempting to give stimulation. And it was working, somewhat. It felt better than what Yammy usually did to him, at least. Then the Primera found his prostate and Byakuya bit his lip, stifling a groan. This did feel better with proper lubrication and someone who cared about his pleasure.

As the sex continued he felt the sweat breaking out on his body, felt the pressure in his loins build. It made him feel ashamed, but not too much. He'd been through unwilling pleasure before, every time Yammy Claimed him… Starrks' breathing was coming faster and Byakuya didn't think it would be long now. The thrusts were speeding up as Yammy pistoned into the Primera faster and faster. Byakuya grunted softly as Starrk squeezed him, speeding up his stroking. The feel of that hand on his body, the hot weight of the Coyote's length inside him… he was getting closer and closer to climax.

Byakuya finally found his moment of pleasure, biting his lip and dropping his head as the heat escaped his body, his insides clenching involuntarily in response to his orgasm. Starrk gasped and followed just a second later, using his moment of pleasure to find his own release. Byakuya could feel the heat inside him, the way the Coyote's member throbbed and swallowed his disgust at the sensation. It wasn't the Espada's fault… then he felt Starrk jerk and blinked at the Coyote's curse.

"Yammy, what part of 'I have no hierro' do you fail to understand?!" Starrk's voice was loud and angry this time. There was a gross chuckle from behind them and Byakuya blinked as he felt the man inside him stiffen. "Yammy, what are you doing?" Starrk abruptly sounded calm, too calm. Then the Coyote was suddenly leaving his body and Byakuya turned to see what was going on.

He didn't like what he was seeing. Yammy had Starrks' wrists trapped in one large hand, his arms held behind his back. His other hand was around the Coyote's throat, not squeezing yet but threatening. Byakuya swallowed as he saw that Starrk was on Yammy's lap, the monster's cock still inside him. There were bruises already forming on the man's hips and Byakuya honestly wouldn't have been surprised to find out his hips were dislocated. Yammy had done that to him a time or two. But the real danger now lay in the Primera's utter helplessness. He had no hierro, no power to speak of with the retaining collar in place. The heavy piece of dark metal had kept the Espada's release from hurting him but it was a great liability now.

"I remembered. I just didn't give a shit." Yammy chuckled again and Byakuya swallowed as he watched that big fingers rubbing against Starrk's throat, making the man swallow. He met those grey eyes and saw fear there. "I could break your neck. Or I could strangle you… that'd be fucking fun, feeling you squirm with my cock in your ass. And then maybe I could have your pets." Yammy sounded thoughtful and Byakuya felt sick. He didn't think for one moment that the Tenth was joking.

"Yammy, Aizen would be very angry with you if you did that." Starrk said and his tone made Byakuya think of someone carefully trying to talk a lunatic off the edge of a building. Yammy scowled and suddenly dug his fingers into that pale throat. Starrk gagged as his supply of air was abruptly cut off.

"Yeah? Well, he can't afford to lose me right now, can he? 'Specially if you're dead." Yammy chuckled as the Primera writhed in his grip. His chest heaved as he struggled to draw in air and Byakuya watched with horror as a bit of spittle slid down the corner of his mouth. Was this really happening? But he knew it was and he had to do something. Starrk deserved better than to die like this. And what would happen to his fellow taichou? That thought suddenly gave him an idea and he spoke, as submissively as he could manage.

"Yammy-sama, Aizen-kami would never award you with Starrk's pets after you killed him." He said, which was the absolute truth. Aizen would never let Yammy have Juushiro or Shunsui after this. Byakuya wasn't sure where they would go, but Shimonami was older now. Perhaps Halibel would Claim Juushiro and Shunsui… Aizen might prevail on Ulquiorra to take him. Yammy scowled at the thought. "And he would punish you. His temper is very bad at the moment." Everone knew about that. Byakuya thought that perhaps Yammy was too optimistic in thinking that Aizen wouldn't kill him. But even if he was right, Yammy would suffer a very cruel punishment with no reward. Yammy tilted his head, clearly thinking about it as Starrk began to go limp. Grey eyes were rolling back in his head and Byakuya held his breath. If the cretin took too long to decide, Starrk would die anyway. Then that big hand suddenly relaxed and Starrk shuddered before drawing a huge, gulping breath.

"Eh, guess my pet is right. He wouldn't let me have your pets. Too bad, if I killed you they should be mine… pfh, whatever. You can live for now." Yammy grunted before shoving Starrk off his lap, onto the bed. The monster was still flaccid, to Byakuya's relief. "You take care of him, I'm going to bed." He ordered and Byakuya nodded, keeping his gaze down. The brute grabbed a robe before leaving the room, leaving his uniform on the floor. One of the servants would gather it and launder it. With Yammy gone Byakuya turned his attention back to Starrk. The Coyote was panting harshly, his chest heaving and his eyes looking at the closed door with a shocking amount of anger. He wiped away the drool from his face with a shaking hand before speaking.

"He's a dead man. He just hasn't stopped breathing yet." Starrk said softly and Byakuya swallowed at the grim determination in his voice. That… was as unlike the lazy Coyote as anything he'd ever seen. Yammy clearly thought he could get away with this, thought Starrk would be too lazy to follow up on any enmity he might have. Byakuya wasn't sure what had changed but he really didn't think it was going to work out the way Yammy thought. Then the Coyote reached up and touched the gems on his collar. Half of them went dark and he winced at the surge of reiatsu. That was half-power for Starrk and Byakuya was a little horrified to realize it was nearly as strong as his own power. And that was only half the strength the Primera could call on. Did Yammy not realize what kind of enemy he'd created for himself today? Then the Espada glanced at him before donning a mask of calm composure. It was very good, but Byakuya could still see the anger beneath. "Do you have a healer? I believe he has dislocated my hips." He said and Byakuya winced, reminded of his earlier thoughts.

"I will summon them." He said before taking a robe of his own and going to the door. It was the work of a moment to find a servant and give the appropriate orders. The healers were all too familiar with this sort of thing, now. Then he went back to Starrk, waiting for the healer to arrive. The Espada's eyes were closed and his breathing was even, but he was not sleeping. Byakuya doubted even the Coyote could sleep through that much pain. "…Why? Why did you do this?" He suddenly asked. Why had Starrk put himself in such danger? Because surely he had guessed what Yammy might do, with an utterly helpless Primera in his grasp. The Espada stirred, opening his eyes and just looking at him for a moment. Then he managed a small, tired smile.

"I did it because I love them." He said softly and Byakuya stared. Was the man serious? He doubted Starrk even understood the meaning of love, no matter what he might think. He was a hollow, a broken, heartless soul. How could he comprehend something like love? "I see you don't believe me. That's fine… but please, don't mention to anyone I said that. It would be seen as a weakness, an Espada actually caring for his pets. The world is cruel and there is no god…" Starrk's sadness was poignant and Byakuya actually swallowed at that calm, sad declaration. Then the healer arrived and he turned the care of the Espada over to her with a feeling of relief.

Starrk might have been gentle with him but it had still been a traumatizing evening. He was extremely glad it was over.


	37. An Unusual Proposal

Starrk lay on his cushions, a wrist over his face, and quietly wished he was dead. His body ached in unmentionable ways, his throat was still sore and in general, life stunk. He honestly could not recall the last time he'd experienced a week this bad. It didn't help that Juushiro and Shunsui were both busy taking care of some hollows in the Rukongai. In addition to the still continuing activities of the Red Queen, there seemed to be refugees arriving from Hueco Mundo. One of the numeros swore there was a vasto lorde there, although no one really took him seriously. Very powerful adjuchas were far more likely and could easily be mistaken for vasto lorde.

So the Coyote suffered in silence, doing his best to keep his feelings from Lilinette. She and Kinomi were off playing with Tigre and Casamir at Ulquiorra's house. As quickly as the boys were growing, they were quickly turning into acceptable playmates with the girls. It saddened him a bit, though. Everyone else would grow up, but not his Lilinette.

"Well, you certainly are a sad sight. I hate to interrupt this private pity party but we do need to talk." Starrk lifted his wrist from his face to glare at the cat sitting by his feet. She just looked at him, flicking her tail impishly.

"I am not having a pity party." Starrk said, ignoring the fact that that was almost exactly what he'd been doing. "What do you want? I'm really not in the mood for company – ARGH!" The cat had just jumped onto his belly and he flinched violently as a she landed on a fresh bruise. She immediately leapt off before giving him a look that seemed to combine surprise with concern.

"You shouldn't have even felt that. What's wrong with you?" She asked and the Coyote groaned before letting his head fall back. Well, who else could he complain to? He didn't want to distress his pets or Lilinette.

"Well, it started with Yammy. Tell the Visored to make sure the second arrancar on the towers is actually watching his towers, next time." Starrk knew he sounded crabby but he couldn't help it. "He saw me talking to someone. Fortunately, he assumed I was just talking my way out of a fight as usual. But he threatened to go to Aizen with it if I didn't lend him one of my pets, and I couldn't chance that." Aizen probably would have assumed the Coyote was just being lazy, but he might not too. And Starrk just couldn't risk his superiors watching him too closely. He was a terrible actor, his best strategy was simply to remain unnoticed.

"Wait, you didn't…?" Yoruichi asked and Starrk sighed before shaking his head.

"Of course not. I couldn't do that to them. I did it myself, with the help of a retaining collar so I wouldn't kill Byakuya with my reiatsu." He glanced at the cat. From her body language, she was appalled by the revelations. "I did my best to help him but I'm afraid he's not attracted to men." That had been easy to read in Byakuya's body language. Yoruichi nodded with a soft sigh.

"No, Bya-kun is definitely not attracted to men. He was married, you know." She said. Starrk nodded, although he knew that was no real impediment to such feelings. Married men were caught at such things all the time, but he was sure the Kuchiki noble wouldn't be one of them.

"Yammy almost killed me afterwards." Rage still ran through him at the thought, making his fingers itch with the need to hold his guns. And the bitter hate beneath it was a terrible but oh, so powerful emotion. Lilinette had been the one to desire strength above all else, but Starrk was coming to realize that he'd desired it too. Being held helpless infuriated him and the threats against his mates inspired his hatred. "Lilinette felt me dying. She was hysterical… she panicked everyone." Starrk could hardly blame her. If he'd felt something like that from her, he would certainly have panicked. "She brought Shunsui and Juushiro to the Kuchiki manor before the healers were even done with me… I got out there just before Yammy, thank god." It had been an ugly, ugly scene when Yammy had shown up and gloated about what he'd done to the Coyote to his pets. Starrk had been forced to use the Claim to restrain them from attacking him, particularly Shunsui. "Then, after I got home, both my mates took me to task for not giving them a choice in the matter." Shunsui had had some very sharp things to say and Juushiro had backed him up completely, pointing out all the things that would have happened if he had died. The combination of Shunsui's emotional and Juushiro's logical approaches had been devastating for the Primera.

"They care for you very much, don't they?" Yoruichi asked and Starrk stiffened as he realized he'd betrayed himself. "Don't worry. I used to be the head of the Onmitsukido. We've known about Juushiro's and Shunsui's relationship for a very long time."

"Oh." That made him blink because he was pretty sure his pets had no idea. That was interesting. "So Soi Fon knows as well?" He asked and Yoruichi nodded.

"Yamamoto knew, too, when he was alive. As long as it caused no problems he was content to ignore it." She said and Starrk was really quite surprised. From what his mates had said, he would have thought Yamamoto would be very unsympathetic to their relationship. "He didn't let anyone know, but he always had a don't ask, don't tell policy about such things. He only wanted to know about them for security concerns. Blackmail was always a possibility."

"Mmm. Yes, I could see that." Starrk doubted that Juushiro and Shunsui would ever have given in to blackmail. They would have gone public first, but they were both taichou. Other shinigami with similar tastes would be placed in far more risk by such a revelation. "Yes, they do care for me." Starrk said quietly. "I consider them my mates." They couldn't really be, by hollow standards, but that didn't matter to him. He loved them, deeply. "I would have done nothing differently, but I can understand their concerns." As he'd pointed out to them, he was the pack leader. A good pack leader protected the members of his pack and now that he'd remembered, the Coyote was determined to be a good pack leader. He was not going to allow his mates to be raped when he could take the pain for them. "It was an exhausting discussion." He had finally broken down and cried, exhausted, in pain and feeling like they didn't love him anymore. Then they had comforted each other. "Anyway, all of that happened yesterday. Aizen summoned me today." Starrk said sourly and Yoruichi's eyes widened. "For his personal amusement." That made her wince.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said sympathetically and he nodded grimly.

"The worst possible time, but I couldn't tell him why. He noticed the bruises on me but he didn't seem very curious." Starrk wondered what Aizen had thought of them. Had he even cared enough to consider who could have done it? Perhaps he thought the Coyote enjoyed rough play. "He did renew several of them." The sight of those bruises had seemed to arouse him. And Aizen had been very pleased with his responsiveness. Starrk just couldn't manage the trick of not caring, anymore. "I'm not moving unless the house catches fire." His insides felt raw. "I've called off dead. So far, Tosen hasn't protested." Of course, Tosen knew what was behind the Primera's message. How could he not?

"Oh." Yoruichi chuckled softly before scratching herself behind her ear. "So when are we going to speak to Grimmjow and Ichigo?" She asked. They'd decided the best way to talk to them was to lure them over to Starrk's house. Unfortunately, Yoruichi couldn't get Ichigo alone anymore. "Why did they have to buy that stupid dog?" She muttered and the Coyote smiled at the irritation in her voice. The puppy loved cats. Loved chasing them, loved barking at them, loved trying to catch them… oh yes, he loved them. The cats weren't nearly as fond. And he'd proved to be far more difficult for Yoruichi to evade than Grimmjow. The Espada often left the house but the puppy was always around and ready to bark.

"Tomorrow. They've asked me to babysit their children while they have an adult's night out." Starrk knew the details. Ichigo and Grimmjow were taking both Yuzu and Karin to an open air concert followed by dinner. It was the sort of thing that would probably bore Tigre and was absolutely unsuitable for Tabitha.

"I just thought… why haven't you gone to the Fourth for this?" The cat suddenly asked and Starrk sighed.

"Reiatsu draining is not really a pleasant procedure. Have you ever been through it?" He asked and Yoruichi shook her head. "It works best when the healer can touch the affected surface, if the injury is external. If the injury is internal, the reiatsu poisoning is usually weaker. Unfortunately, rough sex counts as external." Starrk knew he sounded tired and angry, but he didn't care. "I really don't want a hand up my ass. And my own reiatsu will clean out Aizen's sometime in the night. I should be perfectly fine by tomorrow morning." Some of the bruises would linger but other than that, he would be functional. "Aizen didn't even mean to poison me with his reiatsu. He was just… happy." Aizen-kami had been very pleased with his performance and had complimented him, when they were done. Strangely, that had made him feel good. Starrk sighed before closing his eyes. His need for affirmation was a character flaw, something he needed to work on, but he'd worry about it after this was over. Right now, it was what Aizen expected of him, that the Coyote would behave like a beaten dog badly in need of love. "I need a nap." He really hadn't slept well. No surprise at all, with his injuries.

"I see. Well, I think I'll join you for your nap, if you don't mind. Is your chest alright?" She asked and Starrk blinked before nodding. "Good." She leapt onto him, neatly avoiding his hollow hole before curling up on his chest and starting to purr. Starrk smiled to himself, letting his head fall back. He soon fell into a light doze, that comforting rumble soothing him to sleep.

This was really quite pleasant.

* * *

Grimmjow chewed his lip as he thought.

He hadn't talked to Ichigo about this tentative plan but really, it wasn't his business. He was the one who took care of the budget. Ichigo could look at it anytime he wanted, but Grimmjow kept the finances firmly in his grasp. He was good at it anyway, why would he let someone else mess with it?

Still, this was a pretty big decision. Their new home was almost ready. The shinigami family wasn't having much luck in their house search, though. The market for rentals in the Seireitei was tight. Strangely, they would have had a much easier time buying something. But the little family didn't have a deposit saved up and while the Division had chipped in to get them enough for a rental deposit, there was no way they could put the hat out for a full on buying deposit. That was a lot of money that needed to be put over the barrel.

Of course, that left Grimmjow with a dilemma because he had a house. It was pretty much perfect for their needs… a bit small, maybe, but they could turn the bonus room into a bedroom if they had to. And surely they weren't going to be having more kids anytime soon. Three was plenty. It would work for three. The real issue, though, was that the shinigami family just couldn't afford it. It was a ritzy part of town and the house itself was really nice. Grimmjow didn't give a damn but he knew it had all the bells and whistles that made something expensive. Granite countertops, nice appliances, crown molding, the works. And he'd kept it all in very good shape, not like some of the other arrancar.

He was thinking of giving them a break on the rent. A one year lease at a discounted rate, just to make this problem go away. They would have lots and lots of time to find something cheaper before the lease expired and maybe something would come available in the subsidized housing. You never knew, shinigami died all the time and if there was a family left they had some rights – Grimmjow was fuzzy on that – but they often opted to go live with parents instead. That gave a young widow with kids more support and Grimmjow could understand perfectly. That was how things had gone when he'd been alive, except when all three generations were already living together.

He finally decided to do it. It would cost him a lot, financially. But that money had been earmarked for savings anyway. It wasn't stuff he needed to live on and Yuzu didn't need a dowry. Apparently, that wasn't a shinigami custom. So what was he saving for anyway? Retirement? That was a laugh. He'd retire when he was dead and not a moment before. Maybe tutoring for the cubs but this would only be a loss of a year. He could even sell the place after the lease was up. That'd put a lot of cash into his pocket.

Using sonido he went to the shinigami's house. The man wasn't home, no surprise, but the woman was. She wasn't too happy to see him but he didn't really give her much of a choice, walking in like he owned the place. Grimmjow gave her a grin as he took a seat. That seemed to scare her, but whatever. She was going to like this, she just didn't know it yet.

"Yo. So how's the house hunt coming?" He asked and her lips tightened before she silently shook her head. A little girl was gripping her leg, looking out at him shyly as an older child peeked into the room before running off. "What I figured. What were you paying for your old place?" He asked and she hesitated before naming a figure. Grimmjow winced internally. That was damned cheap for a house big enough for three kids, but it was subsidized. "And what's your budget now?"

"A hundred thousand yen a month." She said hesitantly and Grimmjow nodded. That was more like it, although his house could easily have fetched a hundred and fifty thousand on the free market. "But that's an absolute maximum." Grimmjow could easily read between the lines. If they had to shell that out they would be strapped, badly. That wasn't a good spot to be in with three kids.

"Mmm. Well, it sucks for me – I'll be losing a lot of money – but my new place is just about done. How would you like to rent my old place?" He asked and the woman frowned. No doubt she was wondering what kind of shit hole he was trying to pawn off on her. "It's in the Tagado district and it's fucking fine. I mean, its' got granite and a soaker tub, all that jazz. I'll let you have it for seventy thousand a month on a one year lease. No way in hell I'll renew it for that, though." They'd get a year, nothing more. "It's got a master bedroom on the main floor and three bedrooms upstairs. Two bathrooms, one up and one down. A bonus room for the kids to play in. Honestly, if it weren't for Renji finding a woman I'd be staying there." Renji was definitely the problem at the moment. His woman might be understanding about the Claim but there was no way in hell Grimmjow was going to expect her to live with Renji under their roof. They needed their own space but it had to be close to him.

"We would have to take a look." She said and Grimmjow nodded. They had to see it themselves, know it was in good shape. Some of the arrancar were dumb as dirt when it came to things like house maintenance. They'd mostly moved into the arrancar housing after discovering their own incompetence. "Would there be a good time?"

"Hmm… how about three days from now, in the evening? That'll give us time to clean stuff up." Grimmjow said after a moment. Yuzu would go into a cleaning frenzy, getting the place completely spotless. He didn't really think it was necessary – this family was getting a great deal already – but he knew she would do it. "Around five. That sound good?" That would give them plenty of time to look the place over before supper.

"I'll have to speak to Royalt but that should be fine." She offered and he nodded, standing.

"Send me a butterfly if there's any problems, otherwise I'll expect you. Oh, let me write down the address." Without that they'd have trouble finding it. She found him a bit of paper and he quickly wrote down the street address. It was on the maps, they would have no problem.

With that out of the way, he left to head for home. Although he'd make a quick side trip to Starrk's. He was sure both the Coyote and Juushiro would be relieved at his solution to the problem. Soon, everything in the shinigami's unit would be swimming along nicely.

That was always a good thing.

* * *

Tigre stalked through the well-manicured gardens, smiling to himself. There wasn't a lot of cover but there were lots of those little decorative trees that people here seemed to like. He was using them to hide his movements, slowly getting closer and closer to his chosen prey. It helped that his 'prey' was oblivious to him, busy stalking her own prey at the moment. And that 'prey' had somehow known what was going on and had enlisted his help in catching this one. Tigre was more than willing to do it. It was fun and if he succeeded, he would be getting a lolly.

That lolly was definitely going to be his. Tigre grinned wickedly just before he leapt. He landed right on Lilinette's back, knocking her out of the shrubs with a startled cry. Her prey, Coyote Starrk, glanced up from his easel with a smile.

"Well done Tigre!" He said as his other half cursed and shoved the young boy off, very displeased. "Here you go." He produced a small but very pretty lollipop and Tigre grabbed it with a grin. It was almost a work of art, white with pretty colors and clearly spun together by hand. That was his favorite kind although he didn't get them too often, they were a touch expensive for candy.

"Starrrrrk! Why are you being so mean to me?!" Lilinette demanded, stamping one small foot and Tigre looked up from his candy with a smile. Starrk laughed, setting down his paintbrush and running a hand through his hair. It was a very cold day but he wasn't wearing anything on his head. Of course, he didn't really feel the cold… he had hierro, just like Grimm-papi and little Tabby. Tigre wondered when he would get it. Even Lilinette had it, he hoped he would get it soon.

"I'm not. I told you I wanted to paint, you're the one who decided to disturb me. But even so… I might give you this." Starrk pulled out another lolly and Lilinette's eye went wide. She tried to snatch it but he held it out of reach. "Ahah! What's the magic word?"

"Give it to me before I kick your behind!" Lilinette retorted and Starrk laughed before handing the lollipop over. Tigre shook his head.

"It's supposed to be 'please'." He corrected. He knew that from Itsy-papi and also Uncle Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was a huge stickler for please and thank you. Lilinette laughed as Starrk smiled.

"Yeah, I know, I'm just messing with him. Hey Starrk, want to come down to the river with us? We can eat our lolly's on the way!" She asked and the Primera thought about it for a moment. Tigre hoped he would say yes. If he said no, they wouldn't be able to go. They weren't allowed to leave the house without an adult and Lilinette didn't count. Then Starrk nodded with a smile.

"Certainly. Just give me a moment to put away my paints." He said and soon they were helping him take the easel and painting back to the house. Tigre glanced at the painting curiously. It was the garden in the dead of winter. There were lots of evergreens so it was still very pretty.

The walk down to the river was even prettier. Starrk and Lilinette lived in a really nice place, with a lot of paths for people to follow. They were lined with trees and there was even a place to buy food and drink. People were skating on the frozen river, too, and Tigre briefly regretted not bringing his skates. He wasn't very good with them yet, though. Tigre licked his lolly, enjoying the sweet, fruity taste as they walked along the path.

"Oooh Starrk, look at that, look at that!" Lilinette was pointing at something and Tigre blinked as he saw what she meant. There were people making ice sculptures, using chisels and other tools. "Do you think you could do something like that?"

"Carving? I've never tried it, so doubtful. I imagine there's a technique to it." Starrk paused to watch curiously and a few sensitive souls winced and moved away from him. Tigre noticed it and he knew Uncle Starrk did too, from his faint sigh. "And I couldn't stay here long enough to try. The other carvers would have to stop their work." He sounded slightly melancholy. Then Lilinette kicked him. "Ow! Lilinette!"

"Don't get all sad! We can get you a block of ice and you can try it at home. Make us something cool Starrk!" She said and he laughed, patting her head. Tigre spotted a dog down the path and brightened, leaving their side to go see if he could pet it. "Oi, wait for me!" Soon they were both petting a big German shepherd as Starrk watched from a safe distance. The owner was a bit wary of Lilinette but smiled at Tigre. "I love dogs, they're the best." Lilinette said and Tigre nodded.

"They really are." He loved his own puppy very much. They couldn't stay petting the dog forever, though – if they did Starrk would start to bother people – so they kept moving. The trail made a natural loop and eventually they went back home.

Best of all, when they got in the babies were awake. Tigre squatted down and watched, fascinated, as Toshiro crawled over little Guadalupe. She didn't seem to mind, just going forward and taking her little brother with her. His own sister was gripping the edges of the baby gate and trying to pull herself to her feet. Tigre wondered if she could do it. She was growing awfully fast, even faster than Starrk's kids.

"Aren't they wonderful?" Starrk said softly, rolling his son away from Guadalupe, onto his back. The baby giggled as the Primera tickled his stomach, grasping his fingers with little, chubby hands.

"Yeah, they're cute." Tigre said as he picked up Tabby with a smile. She squalled and he winced. "Hey, no yelling! Gosh you're loud." He said before he tickled her. That made her laugh and squirm, a vast improvement. "Why does she have hierro and I don't?" That was still bothering him. He wasn't expecting an answer, but Starrk gave him one.

"Because she has vast reiryoku." Tigre looked up, surprised. The Coyote sounded melancholy. "I hope it doesn't become a curse for her, like it is for me." He said softly and Tigre swallowed before glancing at the girls. Lilinette and Kinomi were both playing with Guadalupe, getting her to crawl from one of them to the other. The nanny was watching them all with a smile on her face.

"What d'you mean?" He asked hesitantly before setting Tabitha down. She crawled towards the girls, interested in their play. Starrk gave him a half-smile.

"Hollow hunger is a terrible thing, when combined with vast reiryoku. Once, Lilinette and I were a single hollow. Did you know that?" He asked and Tigre shook his head, wide-eyed. "We were the perfect trap for other hollows. They couldn't even sense our power, we were so strong. We were – "

"The Swiffer broom of death!" Lilinette interrupted and Starrk blinked, looking at her as Tigre grinned. That sounded funny!

"Swiffer broom?" He asked and Lilinette nodded.

"You know, one of those thingies Mia uses to clean the bookshelves?" She said and the Coyote scratched his head.

"I know what it is, I just… I would have called us a sargasso, honestly." He said and Lilinette stuck her tongue out at him as Tigre grinned.

"Oi, Tigre! You know what a Swiffer broom is, right?" She asked and he nodded. "You know what a sargasso is?"

"No. Never heard of it." He answered immediately and Starrk sighed before laughing.

"You win, you win. We were the Swiffer broom of death. Adjuchas died without even knowing what was killing them. It made us the most efficient predator Hueco Mundo had ever seen… but it was such a lonely existence. Perhaps a vasto lorde could have survived us but nothing else could. So we split ourselves in an effort to become weaker." Starrk smiled at Lilinette, who smiled back. Tigre tried to imagine them as one person. What would they have looked like? "It worked, slightly. The very strongest adjuchas, those around your Grimm-papi's strength, were able to sense us and flee. Also, our range decreased. If a vasto lorde had found us then, I think they could have lived comfortably with us… but we still didn't find one. And then Aizen found us."

"And he broke your masks?" Tigre asked. Grimmjow had told him the story of becoming an arrancar, once. But Starrk shook his head.

"No. Somewhere along the way, we'd broken our own masks. He used the Hogyoku to make us weaker, dampen our hunger so even the very weak could exist around us for a short time. He also shortened our range… it was already shortened when we split, but now it's very small." Starrk said and Tigre nodded. He knew that Starrk's reiatsu didn't escape the house. If it did, the rest of the neighborhood would have been in trouble. "I really hope Tabitha doesn't grow into something like me. It's not fun, having to plan my life with my reiatsu in mind."

"Yeah, Starrk can't go to pools and stuff unless he books them all to himself. Well, he could but that would be really mean to the other people in the pool. Although wouldn't it be kind of funny Starrk? The mass pool exodus of doom!" Lilinette said cheerfully and Kinomi laughed. Starrk managed a smile at the thought. "What caused it? Oh, that confused looking guy in the middle of the pool."

"Like Jaws! Badum, badum, oh wait it's just Starrk." Kinomi said and Tigre grinned. He knew Jaws although he'd never seen the movie. "Hey, you know, you've never bothered me Uncle Starrk!"

"That's because you're a strong little girl Kinomi. You'll be an excellent shinigami someday." He told her and she smiled, pleased. "Ah, I smell food. Why don't we take the children to the supper table?" They weren't really eating solids yet but they were willing to nibble at them. And it had to be about time for supper. Tigre nodded and picked up his little sister as Kinomi and Lilinette grabbed the twins.

There was a huge dinner table in its' own room, and that was where they had supper. Tigre had a feeling it wasn't used too much – the room was pretty formal for Starrk-san – but with him and Tabby and everyone, they needed the space. Mia and Akari joined them for supper too. They didn't always, but this was definitely a big family event. Juushiro and Shunsui arrived just as the food was being set out. They both looked tired and a bit unhappy, but they brightened at the sight of the food and the happy family around them.

"I love the food Auntie!" Kinomi said and Tigre nodded, his mouth full. Supper tonight was a pot roast and absolutely delicious, cooked with carrots and potatoes. Three little saucers of cooled food were offered to the babies. Guadalupe was uninterested, but Tabitha gummed a soft carrot while Toshiro sampled a bit of carefully shredded beef. "I love the way he looks when he does that." Kinomi said and Lilinette laughed. Toshiro made the most spectacular faces whenever he was trying something new, screwing up his face in what looked like horror. But then he usually had another bite.

"He's a silly baby. Aren't you, son?" Juushiro said to little Toshiro, offering him a tiny bit of carrot. The baby didn't want it, leaning away with another horrified look. That made all the adults at the table laugh and Tigre smiled. Guadalupe started dropping food on the floor, but there was nothing unusual in that. Starrk laughed and cleaned up the mess before taking his child out of her high chair, holding her in one arm as he sampled his food.

"How was your day?" He asked his mates. Tigre knew they were his mates, Starrk had told him so. Juushiro sighed as Shunsui answered.

"Difficult and pointless. There is a vasto lorde in the Rukongai, I think. We caught a few traces of it. But it had no interest in meeting us and was more than capable of hiding itself. We did find a few adjuchas and took them to Aizen. He's interested in breaking masks and acquiring more arrancar."

"Ah. I'd wondered what he wanted." Starrk said thoughtfully. "A vasto lorde would be a great prize. He or she could take Zommari's or Aaoroniero's place, or more. Likely more, Grimmjow and Nnoitra are not vasto lorde."

"Hey!" Tigre protested. "My Grimm-papi is strong!" He said, stung. He loved his father very much. And so what if he wasn't as strong as Itsy-papi? He still had Itsy-papi's Claim. Tigre was very vague on what that meant, except that it was an adult thing and it meant Grimm-papi was in charge, sort of. Starrk laughed, gently ruffling his hair.

"Yes, he is." Starrk assured him and Tigre subsided, satisfied. Then Starrk got up from the table to help Mia bring out dessert. It was chocolate cookies with spoonfuls of ice cream and hot fudge on top. All the children tucked into it, although the babies were only given very tiny portions. They were too small to be eating much sugar.

When Itsy-papi and Grimm-papi came, Tigre was ready to go home. Lilinette was one of his favorite playmates – almost as good as Casamir and better than little Kata – but Tabitha was getting whiny and wanted her papi's. So Tigre was a bit annoyed with Starrk pulled both his papi's aside to talk to them. He tried to follow but Lilinette stopped him.

"They have to talk about boring adult stuff. Want to take a nap?" She asked and Tigre scowled. But Auntie Yuzu was there, backing Lilinette up. Finally he reluctantly went along, glancing back. What adult things could they be talking about? Finally he gave up and tried to help Auntie Yuzu with little Tabby.

Maybe he'd find out later.

* * *

"Oi, Starrk, what the hell?" Grimmjow asked irritably. He'd had a great time but he was tired and wanted to go home. He could tell the kids felt the same. Then he frowned as he felt the tingle of kido as he entered the room. "Okay, what the fuck?"

"We have to talk and I don't want us to be overheard." Starrk said before turning around. His gaze flickered slightly and Grimmjow looked behind himself. Starrk's pet taichou had followed him and Ichigo into the room. Shunsui was leaning against a wall, bottle of saki in hand and a smile on his face. Juushiro looked friendly enough but Grimmjow couldn't help but notice they were blocking the only exit from the room. They were both damned powerful too, and along with Starrk he and Ichigo would be in a bad spot… but why was he worried about that? Starrk couldn't possibly mean them any harm. Frowning to himself, Grimmjow turned to look at the Coyote. "There's someone I want you to meet. Ichigo already knows her." He said calmly and Grimmjow blinked as a cat jumped onto the table.

Then a mist sprang up. Grimmjow blinked as Ichigo drew in a sharp breath. Then he stared as the mist blew away, revealing…

"Nice tits." He murmured, his gaze going down. Then there was a pain on the back of his head. "Ow! Shit, she's naked! I can't not notice!" He protested as his mate scowled at him. He managed to look pretty mean, those brown eyes narrowed and sparking. Although that was good to see. He'd rather have Ichigo pissed at him than in a funk. There was a chuckle from the table and they both glanced back. The woman had her legs crossed and her shoulders back, displaying what god gave her.

"At least one person in the room notices me!" She said cheerfully and Grimmjow glanced at Starrk's pets. Shunsui was grinning, looking shamelessly at the naked woman. Juushiro was blushing and looking down while Starrk was looking more at her back. The Coyote was an ass man? Grimmjow wasn't too surprised, although he was pretty sure Starrk could also appreciate the tits. He wasn't strictly gay, he knew that.

"I think everyone except Ichigo and that guy are noticing you." Juushiro was giving him a twink vibe nearly as strong as Ichigo's. That made the taichou blush even more and Shunsui chuckled softly. "So which member of the Shihoin clan is this?" He knew all about shape changing cats. The Shihoin clan were notorious for it. Starrk smiled before speaking, his voice the usual lazy drawl.

"Yoruichi." He said simply and Grimmjow stared at him in absolute shock. "Former head of the Onmitsukido, current fugitive but not in the Living World, as you see."

"...Uh…" Grimmjow glanced around, suddenly looking urgently for an exit. He didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. But then Ichigo spoke.

"This is how she got here! You were helping her." He said to the Primera, who just nodded. His grey eyes were thoughtful and when Grimmjow looked at him there was no hint of any sleepiness there. No, the Coyote was staring at him like he was trying to see into his soul. It was pretty damned unnerving, Starrk wasn't supposed to be like this.

"We have a proposition for you." The Primera said and Grimmjow tensed. This seemed like the kind of offer you couldn't refuse. He'd gotten that kind of offer before, from Aizen. It had been a damned unpleasant experience then, he didn't want to go through that again.

"Calm down. If you say no, we have a very powerful memory modifier with your name on it." The cat woman said and Grimmjow honestly wasn't sure if he was glad or not. He didn't want to have his mind wiped but if this went as badly as he thought it might… well, yeah.

"Okay, you tell me this offer. And while you're at it, tell me how you'd put this to Aizen so he doesn't pull all your pubes out and set you on fire with them." Grimmjow said bluntly and Starrk winced.

"That… was an appalling mental image. Thank you for that." The Coyote said and Grimmjow grinned. He was good at shit like that. "I'm a traitor. I think I would just opt to kill myself, if I could, before Aizen could take me." That was pretty practical and Grimmjow nodded before glancing at Starrk's pet taichou. Shunsui wasn't smiling anymore and Juushiro had gone pale, his hands fisted in his robes. Shunsui met his gaze for a moment before taking a deep drink of his saki. "We want you to become a traitor as well. Your family is in deadly danger, Grimmjow."

"Oh yeah? How's that?" He asked warily. He wasn't sure he even wanted to listen to this, but it wasn't like he had much choice.

"Let me." Yoruichi took over at that point as Starrk leaned against the wall, half-closing his eyes and looking sleepy. That suddenly annoyed him.

"Oi! Stop fucking faking. I can tell you're not sleeping." He snapped and the Coyote's eyes flared wide for a moment, surprised. Then he straightened with a small laugh. Even his posture was different these days, less slouching.

Grimmjow listened with a frown as Yoruichi gave him the story about the Red Queen. He'd have thought it was just a fucking fairytale if it hadn't been for Starrk's quiet support. His story about the Kuchiki archives and his personal recognition of the things was pretty damned convincing and Grimmjow trusted the Coyote. The story about Ichigo's parentage, though, was a fucking humdinger.

"What! Are you seriously telling me he's a fucking prince or some shit?" Grimmjow snapped before glancing at Ichigo. From the wide-eyed look on his face, he'd had no idea. "And Aizen would want to fuck Karin and Yuzu because of it?" This was getting unbelievable.

"Exactly." The Shihoin woman said, her tone completely serious. "And he would murder you, Ichigo and your son Tigre to secure his grip on the throne." Grimmjow swallowed at that before glancing at Starrk. The Primera was just looking at him, expressionless. He could tell Starrk believed it, but had the escapees sold the Coyote a pack of lies? That was the real question.

"I don't get any time to think about this, do I?" He asked and Yoruichi laughed as she shook her head. "Yeah, I didn't think so." He hesitated, trying to decide. He kind of agreed with Starrk's logic. And the Primera had found out a lot of this shit on his own. It did explain why Aizen was trying to make a kid so desperately, too.

"Grimmjow." Starrk's quiet voice caught his attention and he met the Coyote's eyes again. They were dark with something that felt like pain to him. "Do you want to live like this forever? We're Aizen's toys. He plays with us as he sees fit. Do you want him for a pack leader forever?" He asked and Grimmjow tensed, scowling. There was only one answer to that.

"No, but… shit." He rubbed his head. He had to make a decision right now. "…What do you think?" He asked Ichigo. His mate looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head.

"I can't… Grimm, I hate Aizen so much. Of course I want to help them." He said quietly and that suddenly reminded Grimmjow of what Aizen had done to him. The bastard had taken Ichigo from the mate position, hurt his mate. Suddenly, he decided he didn't give a shit if they were lying to him or not. If this story reached Aizen's ears they'd be damned anyway and he wanted to get his own back.

"Fuck Aizen! Fine, we're in." He said before favoring the cat woman with a glare. "I hope you have some kind of fucking plan." If they didn't, maybe he'd opt back out. Well, not really, but he'd be pissed. She gave him a cheerful smile.

"We still have to figure out that part." She said and Grimmjow sighed to himself. Great. "Our plans depended partly on your response. Now that we have that, we'll see what we can come up with."

"Well, you come up with something then. I need to take the kids home before Tabby throws a fit." He said and Ichigo nodded. They both knew their daughter and she didn't like to sleep outside her crib. She'd tantrum if they didn't get her home soon. Yoruichi nodded.

"I'll be seeing you soon." Then she turned back into a cat, flirting her tail at them. Grimmjow wondered what the point of the nakedness had been. To see their reaction, maybe. The two taichou moved aside, letting them leave the room. He honestly wasn't sure where this would go. Putting Ichigo on the Soul King's throne? But he didn't have much choice.

He'd just have to see where this went.


	38. A Coyote's Fantasies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Next chapter will be Grimm, Ichigo and the kids. :) Hey, if I wrote a Shunsui/Starrk fic with mpreg, would anyone read it? I just got a REALLY cool idea and I'm starting to think they are seriously the hottest pair ever...

_The two hollows sat on a large sand dune, overlooking the piles of bones._

" _Are we going to go anywhere Starrk?" Lilinette asked and Starrk shook his head, feeling tired and sad. Movement just seemed like too much effort right now. Even breathing seemed like too much effort, but he couldn't stop. It just happened, his chest rising and falling despite his will._

" _What's the point? Everything is the same." Endless sand, endless night. Nothing ever changed here. Lilinette sighed before nestling against his side._

" _You always have me Starrk." She said softly and he smiled down at her, gently patting her head. That was a great comfort to him._

" _And you'll always have me." They sat in silence for a while before something impinged on Starrk's awareness. "Ah, go away." He groaned. Another fool of an adjuchas. Perhaps if he was strong enough and wise enough, he would flee while he could. Starrk sighed as he felt the power come closer. It would vanish any moment now, sucked into the endless vortex that was his hungry, hollow reiatsu._

_Or perhaps not. To his surprise, a stranger appeared in front of him, looking at them both with curiosity and interest. Starrk was speechless as he looked over the other hollow. He was a vasto lorde, he had to be, to withstand their power with no sign of strain. And just like them, he'd broken his own mask. What was revealed was, to Starrk, amazing. A tall, well-built male with a surprising amount of body hair. It was easy for him to see, because the stranger wasn't wearing much, although he was better clothed than the Coyote. He was wearing a tattered pair of flowing, shinigami pants and a pink, flowery kimono. The kimono was ragged around the edges, as if it had survived dozens of fights. But it was still a going concern and so was the hollow wearing it. His hollow hole was in his abdomen and his mask fragments were in his hair, reminding Starrk of delicate pins. The hair they adorned was a warm chestnut, pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes, when Starrk met them, were a grey that matched his own._

" _Well. You are a strange one. I've never seen anything like you before." The stranger's voice was warm and almost kind, although Starrk knew that had to be a lie. Hollows were not noted for their kindness. But it didn't matter. He was so excited he could hardly breathe. "Tell me, what is your name?" Starrk swallowed for a moment before answering._

" _Coyote Starrk. And this is my fraccion and zanpakuto, Lilinette Gingerbuck." He said, gently putting a hand on her head. The other hollow looked surprised. But his zanpakuto was a far more typical form, a pair of swords. "We split in an attempt to become weaker." He added and the stranger looked impressed._

" _Intriguing. I am Kyoraku Shunsui. Please, call me Shunsui." He said and Starrk nodded._

" _Please, call me Starrk." He said and the other hollow smiled back before slowly walking towards him. It was a strong, powerful movement and it made Starrk feel a bit weak in the knees. His mouth was dry and his heart was pounding. What spell was this other hollow putting on him? "Do you want to mate with me?" He suddenly said what was on his mind. Lilinette laughed as the other hollow paused._

" _I think I like him, Starrk. Yah, you should mate him!" She said encouragingly but Shunsui frowned at her before directing his attention back to the Coyote._

" _I will not allow you to mate me. I am the one who does the mating." His tone was firm and cold. Starrk considered that for a moment before deciding he most definitely didn't care. Lust was singing in the air and he wanted this hollow, wanted him more badly than he'd wanted anything in his life. At last, he would have a companion. At last, he would have a mate. No children of course – they were both male – but the Coyote would take what he could get._

" _That's fine." He said and Shunsui looked a bit surprised before smiling. "Shall we begin?" There would be a battle, of course. All hollow mating's started that way, the first time. When both combatants had already agreed to mate it was nothing but a show though, a demonstration of strength. Shunsui laughed, drawing his swords._

" _Let's just make it quick. I'm eager to feel your insides." He said and Starrk felt weak again as those heated grey eyes seemed to pierce him. Calling on Lilinette, he took back her power and shaped her into a sword. It was a great, curving thing, the same sword his fraccion used when she fought alone. A lesser expression of his power, it would still do nicely for this._

_So it proved. Their blades clashed again and again and power flared, as they tried to establish an unspoken dominance. But when Starrk was satisfied, which actually did not take long, he allowed his power to submit. All three of their weapons ended up stuck in the sand, although Lilinette was giggling as Starrk was pinned to the ground. He arched into Shunsui's hands, delighting in the feeling as the other hollow bit him with feral passion. They were facing each other, the mate position…_

_There were no preliminaries, no real foreplay and nothing but a bit of spit and fingers to ease the pain. It was still the best thing Starrk had felt in his life, as the other hollow's cock slid into him. His mouth opened in a soundless cry of delight as Lilinette gasped. They were released, she could feel everything he felt and he shamelessly fed her his joy. Then Shunsui was plunging into him and power caressed his body, stroking his core. Starrk moaned before gathering his power, preparing to –_

" _Starrk."_

… _What…?_

* * *

Starrk blinked as he was roused from the most pleasant daydream he could ever recall experiencing. He'd gone to the Espada meeting planning to doze off, but that hadn't worked out. So he'd tried dreaming instead. That had been working quite well but now everyone was staring at him. And why was Grimmjow grinning at him like that? It looked downright obscene.

"Starrk, while the display is interesting, I believe if you intend to dream about such things you should wear more voluminous pants." Aizen sounded highly amused and Starrk hesitated as he tried to understand. Then he looked down at himself and went pale.

"I, uh, I'm sorry Aizen-kami!" He stuttered as he tried frantically to hide his erection. It was absolutely huge and very obvious in his tight pants. Finally he stole a cushion and used it to shield his nether regions as the other Espada laughed. Even some of the pets were laughing and Shunsui was chuckling softly. Starrk hid his face in his free hand, wishing there was a convenient hole to crawl into. He'd never be living this down…

The rest of the meeting went on and Starrk studiously avoided daydreaming for the rest of it. It wasn't hard, he was completely flustered. Fortunately the meeting was almost over and he was able to escape before the other Espada could begin teasing him. The same couldn't be said of his pets.

"Whatever were you thinking about so intently?" Shunsui asked as they went home, laughter in his voice. Juushiro was chuckling softly. Starrk sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Just a fantasy of mine." He said as they reached their home. That was good, he really didn't want to discuss it in public. "A… dream of meeting a hollow version of you." He admitted to Shunsui, who lifted his eyebrows at the thought. "In Hueco Mundo, before I met Aizen."

"Oh, I wasn't in this dream? Starrk, I'm hurt!" Juushiro said teasingly and Starrk blushed. But…

"It involved my being dominated and Claimed." That was definitely more Shunsui's thing. Sure enough, the shinigami's lips curved into a smile before he was pinned against a nearby wall. Starrk rested his hands on the man's shoulders, his breath coming faster. His sexual tension was just so high today.

"Would it surprise you to know I have a similar fantasy?" He said and Starrk blinked. "You as a young, disruptive recruit… me pulling you aside for a chat in my office… and taking your beautiful body on my desk." That made his knees feel weak. Although…

"Disruptive? That doesn't sound like me." He murmured and Shunsui chuckled before kissing him. The kiss was deep and passionate, inflaming the Coyote's lusts.

"I imagined you falling asleep in the middle of a speech." He said and Starrk had to laugh. That was him. "In front of everyone, too. Of course I would have to punish you for that, hmm?" A big hand squeezed his ass but then abruptly pulled away. Starrk whined, sounding more animal than human as Shunsui let go of him and stepped back. "But not tonight."

"Not tonight?" He asked, a touch dazed. What was Shunsui saying? His mate chuckled, his eyes warm and amused.

"Not tonight. Tonight, you'll watch." His voice was warm with promise and Starrk swallowed before nodding. Juushiro was blushing, clearly deeply affected by what they'd been doing and Shunsui pulled him into an embrace, kissing his first mate deeply. Starrk watched the passion between them, a bit speechless. "Tomorrow, we'll fulfill your fantasy. But tonight is for the two of us."

"Okay." The Coyote said, his voice hoarse. Watching his two pets… it wasn't as good as participating himself, but sometimes they just wanted each other. He was always glad to see that and he could certainly wait for his reward. Although… "Er… how? My fantasy isn't really possible." He couldn't release in the city limits, unless he was under heavy wards. That would be in the Division training grounds and they couldn't make love there. Well, technically they could but Starrk couldn't stomach that level of exhibitionism. Shunsui looked up from what he was doing with a smile.

"Well, my fantasy then. I'll explain later." He said and Juushiro nodded, looking flushed as he grasped Shunsui's kimono.

"Sexy time now." He said firmly and Starrk smiled before following the two of them towards the bedroom.

This was going from a terrible to a wonderful day and he couldn't wait to see what happened tomorrow.

* * *

"…Is no one really going to recognize me?" Starrk wondered aloud, looking himself over. "Hm." He was wearing shinigami robes, combined with a long scarf to hide any hint of his mask fragment and hollow hole. Still, was his face really that easy to forget? But without the weight of his horrifying reiatsu, maybe it was. "…" Starrk frowned at the retaining collar before reluctantly picking it up. Without it, this would be impossible. He wasn't too happy about wearing the thing again, but Shunsui was right. The risk to himself was minimal.

The problem with wearing a retaining collar was internal Espada politics. Even now, Aizen hadn't actually ordered them to stop their usual infighting. If the Coyote crippled his power, he would be vulnerable to rivals. Starrk could think of five people, offhand, who would delight in killing him. And two of them would have the power to do it, if he wore this on a powerful enough setting to hide his massive reiastu. Barragan and Halibel… his heart ached at the thought of her. Barragan just disliked him and desired more power, but Halibel had good reason to hate him.

"Lilinette did try to warn her." He whispered to himself before sighing softly. Lilinette had tried to tell Halibel that he couldn't be what she wanted and would hurt her in the end. She hadn't listened, dismissing it as jealousy from the Coyote's smaller half. And that had been part of it but the truth was, Lilinette had known him. Halibel had wanted a real man, a real partner, and he simply couldn't be that. Starrk had blamed her for being needy and demanding but looking back on it, her requests had been quite reasonable. He just hadn't had the strength for anything but himself. "Ah well." Things with his pets had been easier. They had each other and they'd been more than pleased to be dealing with the lazy, indifferent Coyote. At first, anyway.

Now, of course, things were different. And as Shunsui had pointed out, no Espada would try to assassinate him in the Division with his pet on hand. Smiling to himself, Starrk put on the retaining collar and flipped the setting to one eighth his usual power. That would put him on the level of a Numero, rather strong for a brand new shinigami. All the Numero's were adjuchas, roughly equivalent to seated officers in raw strength. Although they often didn't use it very effectively…

Still contemplating the differences between shinigami and arrancar, the Coyote went to report for his first day as a shinigami recruit. Would anyone notice his arrancar reiatsu and would they mention it if they did? He was nervous but also very curious.

Pausing at the door, he squared his shoulders and walked in. He was going to be part of a group, interestingly enough. That was what had prompted Shunsui's fantasy, the recent graduating class. Of course, none of them would know him but hopefully he would blend in.

"Lupe Ruiz y Mendoza." He murmured his name to the seated officer who was processing and she frowned before nodding and ticking him off. How Shunsui had inserted his name was a mystery to the Coyote. It felt odd, using his full name again after so long but it was easy to remember. He took his spot with the recruits, leaning against a nearby wall and tucking his gloved hands under his armpits. He wasn't sleeping but he was doing a good impression of it as he waited.

"Er, hello." Starrk opened one eye to see a shinigami with bright yellow hair. He was wearing the insignia for the Eighth, just like he was. And like his, it looked shiny and new. "I'm Izo Yakamura. I couldn't help but hear your name… you remember the Living World?" The boy sounded wistful and Starrk blinked before nodding. "I'm a plus soul but I can't remember. What is it like?"

"Oh." Starrk understood what the boy was talking about. A lot of plus souls forgot their lives in the Living World. Most of them adopted the Japanese culture and names, which was why even with souls from all over the world, Soul Society remained strongly Japanese in nature. "I died some time ago. No doubt it has changed significantly." He said slowly and the boy nodded. "Nature, though, the people… it's much like Soul Society. You'll see it someday soon." He said encouragingly. The young shinigami nodded, but mournfully.

"That's what I'm worried about. I only know about things like trains and cars from books. It sounds kind of scary." He admitted and Starrk laughed softly.

"Scary? You're a spirit. Unless you're using a gigai, you'll be fine." Really, none of it could hurt him. "Mmm, we… ah." Shunsui had arrived and all the recruits were a bit petrified. Starrk wondered if it was the usual thing, a taichou meeting the new shinigami joining his Division personally.

If it wasn't, though, Shunsui handled it masterfully. The little speech he gave them was warming and upbeat, making several of the youngsters laugh and others smile. Starrk closed his eyes, smiling to himself as he just soaked up the sound of his mate's voice. It was wonderful…

"Excuse me. Who are you?" Starrk opened his eyes to find everyone was looking at him. Shunsui sounded stern but there was smile trying to escape.

"My name is Lupe. And you are?" He said insolently, ignoring the gasps from the other recruits. The smile escaped, although it was rather predatory.

"Your taichou, Kyoraku Shunsui. Am I boring you, Lupe?" He asked pleasantly and Starrk thought about it for a moment.

"No, you could never be boring. But I do tend not to listen to boring things." Their eyes met and the spark between them… from the shuffling, the shinigami around them could feel the tension but of course, they couldn't know the true nature of it. The Coyote smiled at the thought.

"Well, why don't I show you something a bit less boring then? I would like to see your skills." Shunsui said easily and Starrk laughed, leaving the wall as he reached for the gold-wrapped hilt of his sword.

"Gladly." This was a change from Shunsui's original fantasy, but they'd decided to combine the two. Starrk didn't mind that he was about to be badly beaten. After all, he was he impudent young recruit. Wasn't that the way this was supposed to go?

To his surprise, it wasn't really that clear cut. Shunsui didn't go all out on him immediately, didn't simply smash him into the ground with his speed and strength. Starrk found himself fighting to match the man, pushing himself to the limits of what he could do. And Shunsui was enjoying it, from the smile on his face.

"Show me your skill, Lupe!" He said with a laugh and Starrk felt a grin tugging on his lips. Ah, he was enjoying this! For almost the first time in his life, he truly felt the thrill of battle. He'd never really felt it before, he'd always been too lazy, only fighting because he had to. And as they fought, blade clashing against blade, something came to him. It was such a strange thought that he almost slipped up and just barely avoided a slash at his chest, his mind working hard even as he tried to concentrate on the fight. The thought quickly morphed into a revelation, though, making it difficult to focus.

He wasn't as skilled as he could be. Always, he'd depended on his overwhelming reiastu to take care of opponents. Until he'd met Aizen he hadn't even known how to fight with a sword. How could he have? As an adjuchas he hadn't been humanoid and as a vasto lorde, nothing had been able to get close enough for him to fight it. His skills had been all kinds of rusty before Aizen and his shinigami had forced him to brush them off and taught him the way of the sword. But the Coyote had been lazy… Aizen had concentrated his mind through pain and the threat of more pain, but that had been the limit of his enthusiasm. He'd beaten Shunsui in the final battle largely by overwhelming him with his reiatsu and even then, he'd wasted so much of it. Ceros that hit nothing, wild barrages of mini-cero… he'd had power to burn and had used it frivolously, confident in his endless strength. But that was no way to fight, not really. What if he encountered an opponent stronger than himself? What then?

The retaining collar brought that revelation home because he could see how raw his technique truly was, without all his speed and reiatsu behind it. Of course, Shunsui was so much older. Starrk couldn't have been dead more than sixty years. But he needed to learn. There was so much he needed to learn!

A sharp blow to the back of his knees, a wickedly sharp pain across his arm and his sword was rolling on the ground. Starrk saw Shunsui's movement and tried to evade, but he didn't make it. A sword was laid across his throat and Starrk swallowed, grey eyes meeting grey. The feeling of being held at sword point, knowing his next breath could be his last, was arousing to his hollow instincts. Shunsui saw that in his face and his lips curved in a smile.

"So tell me, Lupe. Have you learned something today?" He asked teasingly and Starrk drew an unsteady breath.

"Oh yes. I've learned that I have so much to learn." He said huskily, meaning it with all of his heart. This had been valuable in ways that he'd never anticipated. Shunsui laughed, putting his swords away and offering him a hand. Starrk took it, climbing to his feet before fetching his own sword. He could hear the murmurs of the watching shinigami and comforted himself with the fact that they had been impressed with his skill. But then, none of them were taichou. That was the true skill he needed to master, the power and subtlety that Aizen held.

"Come with me. I think we should discuss that further." The warmth in Shunsui's tone tugged on his libido and Starrk followed willingly. He knew exactly what his mate planned to teach him. Although this, he had definitely mastered. Yet, who could say no to another lesson?

Once they were alone he started getting that lesson. Starrk found himself face down on the desk, papers rustling against his skin as big hands massaged his rump, tracing the cleft of his ass. There was the feeling of warm breath against his throat as Shunsui gripped the ties to his hakama, loosening the fabric.

"Tell me, recruit. What do you want to learn from me?" He asked, his voice warm and insinuating. Starrk drew a shuddering breath, easily sensing what Shunsui wanted from him.

"I want to know what you feel like inside me, taichou." He whispered back. They had to keep it down, there were so many people here. Shunsui chuckled softly as he pulled down the black fabric, exposing Starrk's backside. It was as perfectly formed as the rest of him and Starrk jerked with a gasp as big fingers found his opening and began working on him. Only spit for lubricant but the burn only aroused him further and he moaned, arching into those fingers.

"I can't wait to show you." The promise in that voice… Starrk gasped as his body was breeched in one smooth move, the burn increasing exponentially with the size of Shunsui's member. The pain was quickly followed by pleasure. Starrk whimpered, ever so softly, the sound filled with lust and need. "Oh my kami." Shunsui groaned before drawing a hand down his side. Then he pulled out and pounded back in. Starrk had to bite his hand to hold back a cry.

The Coyote rested his hands on the desk, his mind fully engaged with the rutting. That huge cock, sliding in and out of his clutching insides, was among the best things he'd felt in his life. Then Shunsui's hand joined it, stroking his cock as that member found his prostate, battering the sensitive organ. Starrk whined and whimpered, expressing his joy and pleasure in small, almost soundless pants. He knew he sounded like a bitch in heat but he didn't care. It was amazing… some small part of sanity intruded and Starrk slapped a hand down over Shunsui's inkpot. It was in danger of tipping over and ruining his half-done reports.

For a time, he held that inkpot still as he was fucked into the desk. But then Shunsui pulled away from him and Starrk whined in displeasure at the loss. Then he was being pulled onto his back and Starrk went, surprised but willing. His legs were hitched up, bound at the knees by his fallen pants. Shunsui ignored the fabric, flicking his legs over his shoulders before taking him that way. Starrk had to bite his hand again, or rather the glove he was wearing. Sharp fangs worried at the fabric, holding back the too-loud sounds he wanted to make as Shunsui took him in a fast, passionate rhythm. Starrk moaned, his toes curling in his shinigami sandals as his taichou rode him, teaching him the meaning of pleasure. Something crunched under his shoulder and Starrk felt a cold wetness through his robes, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered but the pleasure he was receiving.

The way the pants bound his legs prevented any direct stimulation to his cock, but Starrk didn't need it. All he needed was what he was getting, the feeling of Shunsui's body inside him, the hard jolts to his oversensitive prostate. He finally arched, biting down on his hand enough to draw blood as he found his release. Hot, creamy cum splattered over his belly and chest. Little trails of it slid down, soiling the papers. Shunsui gasped and his thrusts abruptly became quick and ragged. The taichou gripped the Coyote's hips, pulling him flush against him before he suddenly stiffened with a low, deep sound. Starrk gasped breathlessly as he felt that member inside him pulse, filling him with liquid heat.

They both stared at each other for a moment, gasping and in the grip of a post-coital high. Then Shunsui pulled away, letting his legs slip back down. Starrk just lay there for a moment, feeling completely boneless. When was the last time he'd been fucked so thoroughly? Well… last week probably. But still, this had been absolutely amazing. Then Shunsui smiled at him and it was enchanting to the exhausted Coyote.

"Here, hold still." He said in a kindly tone before he fished out some handkerchiefs. They quickly found a use, wetted down. The stains on his clothing came out reasonably well, the white liquid mopped off the black fabric. More came off his legs and thighs before Starrk could comfortably stand and pull his hakama back up. Then he glanced back at the desk and winced. The ink pot had been utterly crushed in the festivities and many, many reports were completely ruined. Shunsui didn't seem the least bit concerned though, as he threw open the door. Starrk had just finished adjusting his clothing when he was ushered out.

"Mikio! Please, can you show Lupe to the mess hall? I'm sure he's worked up an appetite, with all his exertions." Shunsui said cheerfully and Starrk almost choked. That was one way to put it… but were they still pretending? He felt a little baffled. "Don't you agree, Lupe?" His mate asked and Starrk blinked, trying to get his mind working again.

"Er… yes?" He said tentatively and Shunsui laughed. "Wait, are you sure…?" Was this a good idea? He'd assumed they would drop the masquerade after they were done. Shunsui patted him on the back as Nanao walked past, completely ignoring them.

"Of course! Have fun." He said cheerfully and Starrk could only go, feeling a bit worried. Then there was a loud scream.

"SHUNSUI!" Nanao's voice rang out loud and clear and Starrk had a good idea that she'd found the devastation that was Shunsui's desk. Then he heard his mate, sounding a bit desperate.

"My lovely Nanao-chan – oof!" And that was the sound of his mate being hit with something, likely a binder. Starrk lost track of that as he followed the shinigami woman in front of him. She was a seated officer, from her reiatsu, and her back was very stiff.

"Kyoraku taichou might tolerate your attitude, but we will not." She suddenly said and Starrk winced visibly. Of course Shunsui's officers wouldn't be too pleased with him. Their taichou was very popular, a true leader, and he'd acted badly towards him for no apparent reason.

"I will be more respectful in the future." He said humbly but she just grunted, not mollified at all. She did take him to the mess hall, though. None of the other recruits were there so he was brought to a table with several other rank and file shinigami. He took a seat to a few nods and murmurs.

"So you're the one who lipped off to Kyoraku." Was his greeting and Starrk felt his face heat. This was honestly a bit awkward. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the food. It was big earthenware pots of rice and toppings, kept heated with kido. The speaker was a man with black hair and dark grey eyes. He appeared to be young but from the feeling of his power, that was deceptive. "You were good in the practice yard. Did you want to be in the Eleventh or something?" He asked and Starrk blinked at the thought. The Eleventh had been disbanded quite some time ago, but their legend went on.

"It might have suited me better." He said, which was only half a lie. His lack of desire for bloodshed went completely against that Division, but his vast reiryoku was such a handicap for kido that the Eleventh would likely have been his destination, if he'd been a shinigami. "I regret offending your taichou. Clearly, he has a great deal to show me." Starrk's body tingled a little as he remembered what he'd already been shown.

"Of course. He's a taichou!" A female shinigami said, eyeing him with open dislike. He just smiled at her before sampling his food. It was really quite good, beef in a delicious, spicy sauce. Fortunately, he was allowed to eat as the conversations around him picked up again. Starrk just listened, soaking in the easy camaraderie and feeling almost at home.

_I could have had this. If I'd just taken konso… this could have been mine._ He honestly regretted that now. Compared to the interactions he was seeing around him, Hueco Mundo was a cold and dangerous place. Packs could be tightly knit, but the mega-pack Aizen had created had been quite the opposite. The constant jockeying for position, the constant watching your back… it had always been wearying for him. Starrk had been powerful enough to largely ignore it but it was still no way to live.

"It feels like there's an arrancar nearby." One of the shinigami around him said, sounding worried. Starrk winced to himself. That could be him although one of the settings on the retainer let him obfuscate his hollow reiatsu. It was far from perfect, though.

"Perhaps it's the Primera?" He asked innocently, although that was absurd. Sure enough, the man reacted with a snort.

"Of course not! Getting hit with his reiatsu is like a bowling ball to the face." He said and Starrk blinked. He'd never heard it described quite like that before, although he believed it. His impact was actually greater on the spiritually aware, in many ways. Mere plus souls would eventually flee him, but they would really have no idea what they were running from. Those with more power could feel him immediately and knew exactly what they were facing. "This feels much weaker… I'm not sure…" He definitely sounded worried and Starrk frowned.

"Well, what business would they have with us?" He asked and the shinigami around him gave him pitying looks. "What?" This was baffling.

"Look, Lupe, you're clearly pretty wet behind the ears." The woman said and he bridled a little at her tone but kept his mouth shut. He was trying to learn and that was always better done with a shut mouth. Well, unless you were learning about – Starrk tried to shut that line of thought down. What was wrong with him lately? Was he in heat? "I'm Harumi, by the way. The arrancar rule here, they can do anything they want and a lot of the time they do." Her tone was resentful. "They sometimes come around just to intimidate us. If anyone tries to stand up to them…" She shook her head and Starrk frowned.

"They really shouldn't be doing that. Although they haven't been given orders prohibiting it." After Aizen's training, the arrancar forces were actually rather good at following orders. And given the draconian nature of hollow packs, orders came relatively easily to them. Explaining morality would be pointless but simply ordering a group of hollows not to rape and spelling out the consequences if they did would do the trick. Something to keep in mind, if they actually managed to defeat Aizen. "And shinigami are vital to the running of the three worlds. Don't they care?" Starrk asked, thinking aloud. Although perhaps it was expecting too much, to ask the numeros to care about such things.

"Of course not. Why should they? They don't have to take care of it." Someone muttered and Starrk sighed to himself. Yes, that would be about right. "That's not the worst, either."

"The worst?" He asked, distracted from his food. What could they mean? Harumi laughed at him, genuine amusement flashing across her face.

"Lupe, you do know that Kyoraku taichou is Claimed, right?" She said and he winced slightly at the reminder. Of course they would be talking about that. "I think half of us are by now, all the most powerful. And the arrancar prefer women but a lot of them don't seem to care much either way. You might want to watch out for yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said quietly before sipping on his drink. This taste of shinigami life had just turned bitter on his tongue. "Does the Primera treat him well?" He suddenly asked. It was probably masochistic, but Starrk wanted to know what these shinigami thought of him.

"You mean, aside from raping him?" Harumi said, her voice bitter and angry. Starrk glanced around, sensing matching anger from many of the others. But then, they loved their taichou and for a man to be sexually dominated by another man… it had to be the height of humiliation in this culture. Then the man beside her shoved her in the shoulder.

"We shouldn't be discussing this." He said firmly and the topic was dropped. Starrk was honestly glad. Really, what had he expected? These people had no reason to think well of him. They didn't know him at all, knew nothing about him. He'd never really come to visit his pets' Divisions before this.

There was a far off scream and Starrk lifted his head with a frown. What was happening? It sounded like that had come from the practice yard. He began to stand but a hand caught his arm.

"Don't bother. It's an arrancar, I'm sure of it." The man who'd sensed the presence said. Starrk's frown deepened and he shrugged his hand away.

"Thank you, but I can take care of myself." He said and the shinigami gave him a look like he was an idiot before shaking his head. Starrk left the table, ignoring the whispers. From what little he could make out, they thought he was going to draw on the arrancar and then Kyoraku would be forced to kill him, execute him in front of the Division. He would have laughed but he was far too involved in what was going on outside.

What was going on was, in fact, exactly what the shinigami in the mess hall had predicted. There was an arrancar in the practice yard and he had one of the brand new recruits in his grip. A young woman, she was pretty and had decently powerful reiatsu. Nothing at all spectacular but adequate for a numero. There was another recruit on the ground, a young man. Starrk's lips tightened as he saw the wounds on him. He might live, he might not, it was hard to say.

For a moment, he considered doing nothing. It really wasn't his business. Policing the arrancar was a hopeless cause and if he saved this girl and her mate – he had a feeling that fallen shinigami was her man – what good would it do? He wouldn't be there to save them next time. But his heart rejected that logic. He'd once been a boy named Lupe, a young man with a gallant and romantic heart. He couldn't simply walk away.

So he drew his sword and took action. The arrancar barely had time to react, dropping the girl and taking the blow of his sword on one big arm. Starrk noted that he was almost as large as Yammy but with none of the power to back it up. Still, he was on the strong side for a numero. For a moment Starrk thought about adjusting his collar and crushing the arrancar, but he quickly decided against it. Perhaps it was foolhardy but perhaps not. If he was going to get used to fighting equal or greater powers, he might as well begin today.

"What the hell?" The numero inquired, dropping the girl. She immediately crawled towards the fallen man, touching him with shaking hands that lit with the power of healing kido. "You got a death wish, fucker? Well, I'll give it to you!"

"Lupe!" Someone called his name but Starrk could give it no attention. He was too busy dodging the numero's strikes. They were actually rather quick for something so bulky. Then a cero built up and Starrk timed himself perfectly, dropping to the dirt and rolling forward. It impacted right behind him, raising a cloud of dust. Using that to his advantage he quietly slipped aside, intending to take the arrancar by surprise.

"So is this your mate, bitch?" Starrk's lips tightened as he heard that. Then there was a cry of pain and his eyes widened as the dust cleared a little. The numero had slapped the girl away and was sneering at her. "I'll take care of that!" And he lifted a fist, clearly intending to finish the shinigami man off.

That blow never landed. Starrk was there, catching that fist on the flat of his sword. He held his weapon in place with both hands but his arms trembled as he struggled to use his vastly diminished strength. Then the hand pulled away, a bit of blood dripping from where the edge of his sword had knicked through the hierro.

"What the fuck? You're still alive? Oh, screw this!" The arrancar yanked out his sword and Starrk's eyes widened in surprise. "Desire, Glamorga!" The numero's resurrection flared about him and then the Primera had to tangle with dozens of tentacles. It reminded him a little of Luppi's resurrection, although these tendrils were bone plated and flatter. Then he made a mistake. Too preoccupied with the arrancar in front of him, he'd lost track of the unconscious shinigami. He literally tripped over the body and yipped as he was caught by those tendrils. They wrapped around his arms and legs, lifting him into the air. "Got you! Now, hm… you know, you've pissed me off. I think I'm gonna tear your arms and legs off, slowly."

"Do you really think so?" Starrk asked calmly as those tentacles tightened painfully around his body. But he was far from out of tricks. A brilliant ball of blue light appeared in front of his chin and Starrk's eyes narrowed as he concentrated on forming it. Without his full reiatsu it was hard to do this without a gesture, but he could. The arrancar only had a moment to gape before the blue light abruptly hit him in the face.

"OH FUCK!" Those tentacles let go of him and Starrk dropped to the ground, catching himself easily. The numero was shaking his head back in forth and gripping his face, clearly in immense pain. "MY EYE! MY MOTHERFUCKING EYE! THAT WAS A CERO! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Well, there went his cover. Starrk spoke as the arrancar tried to recover himself.

"You know, I was going to let you live. You can't help being what you are and there's really no shame in it." Starrk stuck his sword under his armpit, reaching for his glove. "But calling out your resurrection to deal with an eighth of my true power... your incompetence is appalling. As for who I am?" He held up his hand and the arrancar stared before making a small, terrified sound. Everyone knew the marks of the Espada. Beads of sweat began to track down that big face as he realized he'd made a huge, awful mistake. "Oh, cheer up!" Starrk said with a smile. "I'm wearing a reiatsu limiter so you do have a chance. A very _slim_ chance, but a chance." That made the arrancar suddenly scream and every attack at his disposal was flying at the Primera.

For Starrk, the rest of the battle was truly exhilarating. He had to use his skills to the fullest, utilize every ounce of power at his disposal. But he was more skillful and better able to use his strength than his enemy. He enjoyed every moment of slicing the fool to pieces and when the final blow came, a stab to the back of the neck, it was a pleasure. The numero collapsed in a puddle of blood and gore, his body trembling a bit before all life fled. Starrk flicked his sword, cleaning it off with a practiced motion before sliding it into his belt. He looked at the body for a moment, feeling no regret. This arrancar was no innocent victim like the Visored woman. No, the numero was unworthy of any pity or regret. Turning aside, he looked over the shinigami in the practice yard. They were clearly very confused. Some were murmuring about his cero while others clearly feared he would be immediately executed for his actions. Starrk frowned, turning towards the fallen man and his woman –

Then a slender arm went around his neck and Starrk gagged right before his legs were swept out from under him, landing him on his back.

"HAHA! Got you Starrk!" Lilinette landed on his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. "Why are you fighting without me?! Hey, you're wearing that collar! I can beat you up really good!" She grinned widely and the Coyote's eyes widened.

"Lilinette no – ack! Stop it! Get off me, ow!" He said as he tried to fend off her playful blows. He shoved her aside and rolled over just to end up with her on his back, her arm around his throat again. Starrk yelped but then her grip suddenly slackened as she noticed the corpse.

"Hey, you killed something! Can I have it? Can I, can I?" She released him before begging shamelessly. Starrk rolled back over before sitting up, rubbing his neck. His overenthusiastic other half had managed to hurt him more than the numero had.

"Go for it." He said and she squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Yummy in my tummy!" She dove in and he stood, dusting himself off as he ignored the crunching and tearing sounds. From the looks of horror on their faces, the shinigami had never seen a hollow feeding before. Or maybe it was Lilinette's appearance. She did look like a young girl which could make it especially off-putting.

"You're the Primera." A seated officer said and Starrk nodded. Then he blinked as the shinigami's expression suddenly darkened. "You… you take everything away from us, our honor, you defile our taichou and now you play games with us?!" He clearly itched to draw his sword, from the way he gripped the hilt, but he knew better. Starrk looked at him in shock, trying to think of what to say. But what could he say to that? He couldn't admit why he'd been doing this –

"Sito! It's not like that at all." A rescue. Starrk turned gratefully to see Kyoraku there, surveying the wreckage in the practice grounds with a small smile. That smile faded as he saw the girl and her man. They were both in very rough shape but being tended to by some friends. Then his smile came back as he looked at Starrk and the Primera noticed, to his surprise, that his pet was sporting a nasty black eye. Had Nanao done that to him? It hadn't been there when they'd coupled over the desk. "Juushiro and I had a bet on how long he could fool you. And I won by…" He pulled out a golden pocket watch and consulted it as Starrk's mouth fell open. "Fifteen minutes."

"You… you were betting on me? Why, you bastards!" He yelped and Shunsui's smile widened into a grin. "I should punish you for this." He fumed, grey eyes narrowed with anger, made worse by the fact that they both knew he never would. Shunsui laughed and Starrk's eyes abruptly went wide as his mate flash stepped up to him, gripping his chin in one hand.

"Shouldn't I be punishing you… recruit?" He murmured before kissing him. The Coyote's mind went blank even as his body melted into the kiss, responding passionately to his pet and mate. Weren't they hiding this? Why was Shunsui kissing him in public, in front of his entire Division? He couldn't ask though. Not like this, in front of everyone. The kiss came to an end and he was left breathless, staring at Kyoraku wide eyed. "But perhaps you should go home. The children must be missing you." He said warmly and Starrk nodded, speechless.

"R-Right." He said breathily. Shunsui was right, he'd been gone for quite some time and the babies needed attention. Stepping back he shook his head to clear his mind before looking at the corpse. The best bits had definitely been stripped and his fraccion was starting on the brain. He could hear a few of the shinigami quietly retching as she tore open the braincase. "Are you about done?"

"Just about! Let me finish this and I'll give you a biiiiiig hug!" She chirped and Starrk winced at the thought. She was covered in gore.

"Absolutely not!" He was not tolerating that. Lilinette just laughed and finished her treat, eating the brain eagerly. For hollows that was definitely a good part, full of plentiful reiatsu just like the heart and other internal organs. Soon enough they left the Division, although Starrk glanced back thoughtfully. These kinds of attacks had to be happening quite frequently. Aizen wanted the shinigami terrified into obedience and dominated by the arrancar, so he would encourage it. Was there anything he could do for Shunsui and Juushiro? Seeing their shinigami harmed this way had to be very painful.

He would have to think about it.


	39. My House

"This is pretty fucking awesome." Grimmjow looked over his new home with approval.

Everything was done. The house was built, fully furnished and ready to be occupied. The movers had just finished bringing in all their stuff and Ichigo and Yuzu were arranging things, with Tigre's help. Well, sort of. He was probably more of a nuisance than a help but no one had the heart to tell him to get lost. Tabby was sleeping in a carrier on Ichigo's back.

"Hey Grimm, can you help me out over here?" Ichigo called and Grimmjow nodded before joining him and helping him lift the sofa.

"Right here Ichi-nii, Grimmjow-kun!" Yuzu directed them and Grimmjow grinned as they set the sofa in place. "It really looks good!"

"Yeah, it does." He paused to examine the room. The basic color palate was very simple, light grey, pearly white and black. The color in the room came from their decorations. The living room had an enormous picture, the same one they'd had in their old place. It wasn't a good picture, though. Just a print of some flowers, it brightened up the place a little. "You know, I should ask Starrk to paint something for me." The Coyote would probably do it for free.

"Just make sure you pay him." Ichigo said and Grimmjow blinked. Pay him for something he'd give away? What a weird idea. "Friends shouldn't take advantage of each other."

"We're friends now?" He wondered out loud and Ichigo gave him an annoyed, but fond look.

"Grimmjow, you hang out with him and enjoy his company. Wouldn't you call that friends?" He asked and Grimmjow tilted his head to one side, thinking about it. He wouldn't have thought of it if Ichigo hadn't brought it to mind but… yeah. Of all the Espada, Starrk was pretty much the only one he would call a friend.

"Yeah, I guess. He's got more money than he knows what to do with, though." He said, running a thumb over his mask fragment. Starrk's noble pet gave him access to part of the Kyoraku clan's fortune, although the Primera didn't use it frivolously, new uniforms aside. Grimmjow was pretty sure the Coyote's pets were taking care of budgeting. "Guess I could give him something though." It would be worth it to get a real painting on the wall. Then the doorbell rang.

"Hey! I brought some wine." Well, speak of the devil. Grimmjow grinned as he opened the door and saw Starrk there, Lilinette by his side. She was actually wearing normal clothes, although they were in arrancar black and white. Starrk hadn't bothered with the dress code, just wearing a brown coat and a long, soft looking scarf around his neck. He was smiling, a touch sheepishly. "I know you didn't say you were having a house warming, but I thought I would bring you a gift."

"A house warming? What's that?" Grimmjow asked blankly. The house was already warm, what was the Primera talking about? Starrk's smile went from sheepish to amused.

"I thought you might not know. It's a custom here, to have a party after you move into a new home. The guests are expected to bring gifts, usually edible ones." He explained and Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo to verify the information. Starrk might have gotten his wires crossed, it wouldn't be the first time. But his mate nodded after a moment. He was looking pensive, though.

"That's true but… I thought we wouldn't have one. I couldn't picture you inviting the other Espada into our home." He said quietly and Grimmjow growled at the thought. Starrk he could handle, he wasn't a dominant type, but the rest of the Espada in his den? Fuck that! There was a reason Aizen had given them all individual wings.

"Wow, you're both really dumb. Invite the pets!" Lilinette said and Grimmjow saw Ichigo blink, his eyes focusing on the little arrancar. "If Starrk and Grimm both ask around the other's'll let 'em come over, I bet you anything! Invite Renji, Byakuya, Shunsui an' Juushiro, that Quincy guy… um…" Lilinette paused, clearly running out of people to invite. She didn't know all of Ichigo's friends and a lot of them were dead, anyway. Of course, Byakuya, Shunsui and Juushiro hadn't exactly been friends… they were taichou, older and vastly more mature… but they'd be more than willing to come over and be sociable.

"Huh!" Grimmjow considered it and decided he kind of liked this idea. The thought of having a bunch of pets in his house didn't bother him at all. Sure, they were powerful but they were pets, the lowest rung of the pack ladder. "Yeah, we could do that. If you want to?" He said to Ichigo. Maybe he wouldn't, although Grimmjow wasn't sure why he wouldn't. Shinigami still baffled him sometimes. Ichigo thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"I would like that. Thank you." He said to all of them but mostly to Lilinette. She grinned and put a hand behind her head, happy that he liked her idea. And that reminded him.

"Hey, if you want to get us a gift, make us a painting." He said, conveniently ignoring the bottle of wine and jerking a thumb at the wall with the print on it. "That thing is shit, I bought it for a thousand yen to fill up the space." Starrk looked surprised, then gazed at the picture for a moment thoughtfully.

"It is rather boring. I can do better… but what sort of picture do you want?" He asked and Grimmjow frowned. He honestly had no idea.

"I dunno, surprise me." He was sure whatever Starrk came up with would be nice. The Coyote blinked but nodded.

"Well, we should go then. I'm sure you want some time to yourselves." He said graciously and Grimmjow nodded. That was one good thing about Starrk, he never overstayed his welcome and they still had a lot of crap to put away. They didn't need visitors at the moment. They were putting the dishes away when Tabby woke up with a squall, almost making Grimmjow drop one. It was quickly determined that she was hungry and Ichigo fed her as Grimmjow got the rest of the kitchen stuff squared away at Yuzu's direction.

It would be several days before everything was in place but before long, they would be all settled in.

* * *

"Thanks for suggesting this, Starrk. It really is turning out great." Ichigo said to the Primera. He smiled back warmly.

"No thanks needed. I'm glad it's going well." He said easily and Ichigo looked around with a smile.

The housewarming party was in full swing and everyone was having fun. Following Lilinette's advice, they'd invited all of his friends. Renji, Uryuu and Byakuya were all there. Yammy hadn't wanted to give up his pet for the night but with two Espada leaning on him, he'd finally capitulated. Best of all, Byakuya had come over right after work so he was dressed in his taichou's uniform, not a humiliating kimono. Shunsui was there, making inroads on the snacks and the liquor. Juushiro was chatting quietly with Byakuya while Yumichika cooed over little Tabitha. Orihime had been almost as hard to get as Byakuya, although for a slightly different reason… she was pregnant again. Starrk had finally offered to be her escort and even with that, Ichigo was sure Ulquiorra had several members of the Onmitsukido monitoring the house. Right now she was with Yumichika and they were both cooing over little Tabitha. Their baby was just starting to walk and was insanely cute in her frilly little dress.

The children were all there too, but they were mostly in the backyard. Grimmjow had requested a large yard for the children. There was no landscaping yet and Ichigo was a bit sad to lose the old garden, but he had plans for what he would do with this one come spring. And they still had the barbecue. That was portable so they'd taken it along.

"Hey, feathers!" That was Grimmjow's nickname for Yumichika and Ichigo glanced over with a smile. "You might not wanna do that." Yumichika was tickling Tabby's nose with a feather and making her face screw up in a rather adorable way. "She's kinda – " The baby abruptly sneezed and Ichigo's eyes went wide as Yumichika received a faceful of very wet snot. "- Snotty. Yeah." Yumichika made a small, 'uk' sound, his expression filled with shock and horror at the defilement he'd just suffered. There was dead silence from the other guests for a moment before Shunsui laughed. Then everyone laughed as Yumichika uttered a small scream and ran for the bathroom. "Sorry!" Grimmjow called before grinning. "Hah, good one brat." He said to Tabby, who was rubbing her nose and blinking. She got unsteadily to her feet before toddling over to Ichigo, who picked her up with a smile.

"That was hilarious. But don't do it again or Yumi might not like you much." He said teasingly, although he was sure Yumichika would never tease her nose with a feather again. No one would want to experience baby snot to the face. Tabitha flicked her little tail before babbling something. She wasn't talking in words yet but she had plenty of baby babble at her disposal.

"She is quite adorable." Ichigo looked up, a bit surprised as Uryuu spoke to him. It was the first time in a very long time that they'd talked. He'd thought the Quincy was avoiding him. He adjusted his glasses as he looked at Tabitha, frowning slightly. "…I wonder if mine will be like that." He said and Ichigo's eyes went wide as he absorbed that.

"Wait, you're having a child too?" He asked, shocked. How had that happened? And what he'd just said implied that it was going to be a hybrid. He could see Ishida possibly finding a female shinigami he was fond of and Szayel certainly wouldn't care, but an arrancar? Uryuu looked slightly pained.

"Szayel isn't giving me much choice. Apacci came to him for help with having a child and in return for his aid, he demanded that he be allowed to choose the father. He wants to see if a hybrid between a Quincy and arrancar is possible." Ishida shook his head. "He's given up Aizen's project as impossible and he wants to try something new." Ichigo stared at Uryuu, shocked. Had he just said…?

"Aizen's project is impossible?" He asked and Ishida nodded.

"He couldn't find any old DNA and I've looked at what Aizen has now. If I didn't know better I'd think I was looking at an alien life form. Szayel says he'll just have to adopt." Uryuu said and Ichigo was absolutely sure that Szayel hadn't broken the bad news to Aizen. He was also sure that Szayel hadn't been told about the Throne and Aizen's lack of control over it.

"Um, Uryuu." He said carefully, glancing around. No one else was close enough to hear except Starrk and that was fine. Ichigo was willing to bet the Espada was listening intently from his spot against the wall. "You might not want to repeat things like that. And tell Szayel not to say it where anyone can hear him." Ishida looked at him, surprised, then made a dismissive gesture.

"It's hardly anything important, Ichigo. Just a pet project." He said then hesitated as he saw the look on his friend's face. "Isn't it?" He said, his voice much quieter. Ichigo shook his head.

"I can't tell you why but it's really important. And if Aizen finds out Szayel's given up he's going to be in a lot of trouble." Ichigo glanced towards Starrk and met the Espada's eyes. He pushed himself away from the wall before moving closer.

"He's right. Please warn Szayel. He wouldn't want Aizen to personally emphasis the importance of that project." Starrk said quietly and Ishida swallowed before nodding, a bit of concern flashing over his face. Ichigo wondered how well he and Szayel were getting along. His friend wasn't gay but Szayel wasn't either, so the whole Claim business was probably happening as little as possible. And in a lot of ways, they were two of a kind. He might prefer to keep the Espada out of trouble –

"HEY STARRK!" A lot of people winced as Lilinette suddenly pounced on her other half, trying to knock him over. Starrk stumbled but managed to stay upright. "The painting! Everyone's here, get out the painting!"

"Oh yes!" Starrk's sudden enthusiasm made Ichigo smile. The Coyote had brought in a painting wrapped in brown paper. It was currently sitting in the bedroom, leaning against a wall. They'd wanted to wait until everyone was assembled to bring it out. "I hope you don't mind… I was inspired to paint it, but if it seems a bit morbid I can do something else." He said apologetically as he brought out the painting and began pulling off the covering.

"Morbid?" Ichigo said, surprised. "Woah there!" He grabbed an intrepid Tabby cat before she could run into Starrk's leg. Then the Coyote put the painting on the wall and everyone got to see what he'd done. Ichigo stared, shocked.

It was a beautiful. The scene in the picture had been depicted with meticulous care, capturing the smallest details. And it was a gorgeous scene… the side of a dark stoned building, covered in ivy, and a wide field. The sun was just rising and the light cast over the field illuminated the markers set there. There were odd little pillars, statues of angels holding their hands together in prayer. The whole area was overgrown with ivy and flowers, creating a beautiful cover of dense plant life. There were trees in the distance, surrounding the meadow.

"Oh, a graveyard." Grimmjow said and Ichigo blinked before looking at it again. They weren't entirely like Japanese headstones but he suddenly understood. Yes, it was a graveyard. "Pretty as hell though. Why'd you paint that?"

"It's where they buried us!" Lilinette said cheerfully and Ichigo swallowed, looking at the little girl. Starrk was smiling as he gazed over the picture, his mind clearly far away. "You can't see that spot though, it was new and not as pretty. There's a broken wall too, that's where we would have been sitting. We sat there all the time."

"Almost every morning." Starrk agreed, resting a hand on her helmet. "When you said to paint anything, well, it just came to mind. Is it good?" He sounded so worried that Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "I can do something else if you want." He offered and Grimmjow laughed.

"Shit no! This is awesome. I love the light and the ivy and shit. You are amazing, Starrk." He said and Ichigo nodded, a little speechless.

"I love it. Thank you, Starrk." He said and the Primera blushed, running a hand through his hair. Juushiro walked up behind him, putting an arm around his waist and cuddling him.

"It's incredible." He said warmly and Starrk's blush deepened for a moment before he put an arm around Juushiro, returning the affection. Ichigo watched them with a small smile. It was nice, seeing them –

_Thwump._ Ichigo started at that muffled sound and then his eyes widened as he heard a scream. Grimmjow rushed out and Ichigo quickly gave Tabitha to Orihime before following. Starrk and the others were close behind.

"…That kido is too much for you." Ichigo heard an unfamiliar voice say as he got outside. Looking over the yard, he winced. Tigre had managed to blow himself up, from the look of things. A member of the Onmitsukido was there, giving his son a lecture. "You are only lucky you didn't have more power to put into it. You could have hurt your friends."

"Yeah, what he said. What kido were you trying anyway?" Grimmjow asked as he looked over his son. Tigre was sniffling in pain, holding his arm out. It was badly burned but the injuries were healing rapidly.

"He was trying a level fifty-three hado." The shinigami said in clear disapproval. Ichigo winced. That was definitely beyond Tigre's ability. And where had he learned that? Ichigo definitely hadn't taught him that spell.

"Have you been reading my book? Tigre, you can't do every spell in it. You need to wait to get older." He told his son gently as Tigre began to sniffle. Then he looked up, his blue eyes imploring.

"I just want to be good at kido like you, Itsy-papi!" That made everyone laugh and Ichigo's face heat up. To Tigre, he was masterful at kido. Everyone else knew better. Grimmjow shook his head, looking over all the children. They'd been watching, fascinated.

"We need to tell you the story about the backyard… later. You guys hungry?" He asked and there was a chorus of yes's from the kids. "C'mon, let's feed you before Shunsui eats everything."

"I haven't been eating that much…" Kyoraku protested mildly as Starrk and Juushiro both laughed. Soon, the kids were inside sampling the food. Ichigo smiled as he saw Kata politely wait until everyone else had taken their food before making her selections. It wasn't what he would teach to his own children – they weren't nobles – but her efforts to emulate her father were very cute. Byakuya had done the exact same thing a bit earlier. Glancing around Ichigo saw that Tabitha was gone. A quick check with Orihime revealed that their daughter was upstairs, asleep in her playpen. Ichigo decided to take advantage of the moment and got himself some food. Then he blinked as a piece of sushi was stolen from his plate.

"Hey!" He scowled at a grinning Grimmjow. "Get your own." He said crabbily and the Espada just laughed, popping the food in his mouth.

"But I like yours better." He purred and Ichigo flushed, meeting those bright blue eyes. From the heat in them, they would be spending some serious quality time in the bedroom later. He honestly couldn't wait.

And he was dead right. The party broke up after supper, as the various children started to get tired. Casamir was too well behaved to get cranky but Shimonami and Tigre definitely were not. Kata had gone for the more direct route, falling asleep beside her Bya-papi on the couch. He carried her out with a small smile on his face and Ichigo was glad to see his resentment for the child seemed to be mostly gone. Kata really was adorable and she deserved to be loved.

All thoughts of Katapira and Byakuya fled, though, as warm hands began undoing his belt. Ichigo turned around, gripping Grimmjow's shoulders and pulling him into a hot, passionate kiss. His mind went hazy as big hands cupped his buttocks, exploring him through his pants. Yuzu's voice came to them and he blushed but didn't pull away.

"I'll take care of Tigre and Tabby, Ichi-nii!" She said cheerfully and he shot her a grateful smile before Grimmjow tugged him away with a small growl. All the bedrooms were upstairs in this house, which was probably a better layout. Downstairs had the kitchen, dining room, pantry and laundry room. Not that he cared about that at the moment, when Grimmjow clearly had sex on his mind.

Ichigo had sex on his mind too. He moaned softly as Grimmjow pinned him against the wall, ravaging his throat with sucks and nips. The arrancar ground his hips against him and Ichigo reacted without thought, thrusting his hips right back. They were both panting and highly aroused. Ichigo had closed his eyes but he opened them as a hand stroked the back of his neck, meeting bright blue eyes.

"Face the wall." Grimmjow ordered and Ichigo shivered a bit at that dark, rough voice. He knew what was coming and he wanted it. He took the right position, quickly undoing the ties to his hakama. He heard a rustle of fabric and knew Grimmjow was doing the same. It was going to be quick and dirty tonight and his mouth watered at the thought.

Grimmjow didn't skimp on the preliminaries, though. He never did and Ichigo gasped as big fingers slid into him, beginning the painful but oh, so pleasurable process of stretching him out. Not that he needed a lot anymore but Grimm liked to torment him, liked to see the look on his face. Ichigo turned his head to look into those blue eyes, seeing the feral lust in that handsome face.

"Shit, that look on your face… it's better than when you were my bitch." Grimmjow said, his voice a rough growl and Ichigo shivered. "The way you want me… fuck."

"I do want you. Hurry it up, I'm dying here." Ichigo said with a groan and Grimmjow laughed before suddenly gripping his hips and taking him with one quick, powerful move. "Hah!" Ichigo panted slightly at the stretch and burn. It definitely ached but it was oh, so good.

Grimmjow set a punishing pace. Ichigo lowered his face, gasping as that heavy cock grated along his prostate. The Espada knew exactly how to torture him, how to bring him the most pleasure. That heavy hand on his cock, jerking him off… the strokes were fast and heavy, almost painful but not quite. Just at the very edge, like everything about this.

"Fuck, you're so goddamned tight. Even after all this time…" The lust in Grimmjow's voice… Ichigo shivered, feeling sweat breaking out on his skin. Kami, it was good! "All day I've been waiting for this." Grimmjow started working on his throat again, sucking the tender skin where his shoulder joined his neck. Ichigo gasped as the arrancar nipped him, a faint erotic pain. Then that heavy cock inside him nailed his prostate again and Ichigo moaned, his hands balling into fists.

"Sh-Shit Grimm… that feels so good…" He managed to say, feeling like everything was getting a bit blurry aside from the intense pleasure the Espada was visiting on him. "I c-can't…" He was going to cum soon. He couldn't hold it back anymore. This was quick and dirty… Grimmjow chuckled behind him.

"I still love to see…" That cock inside him, working over his insides in the best way. "The look on your face…" That hard hand on his cock, abusing tender flesh. "…When you cum for me." Ichigo's eyes went wide as that thumb dug into the head of his erection just as the arrancar thrust into him powerfully.

Ichigo gripped the wall, a soft sound escaping him as mind-numbing pleasure rolled over him. The orgasm was so powerful, so intense… he felt it as Grimmjow's breath caught and the Espada went into him harder, faster. The arrancar gripped his hips, his fingers digging in almost painfully as he came with a feral growl. Ichigo panted softly as he felt that spreading heat, Grimmjow's cum inside him. It felt good now, it really did. Although…

"Mmm… you know, if I'm your mate why am I always the one who cleans the jizz off the wall?" He murmured sleepily. There was a pause before the arrancar behind him laughed.

"You want me to clean your jizz off the wall?" Grimmjow said, amused, as Ichigo blushed a little at the thought. Then that softening body pulled out of him and he groaned slightly at the loss. "Okay."

"Wait, what?" Ichigo blinked, trying to encompass that. Had Grimmjow just said yes? Then the arrancar laughed and maneuvered him out of the way before squatting in front of the wall. Grimmjow shot him a look that was full of heat before he rested his hands against the wall and slowly, sensuously began to lick the spilled semen off the plaster. "Grimm!" Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. That was just… he didn't have words. "You're disgusting." He said severely and the arrancar stood with a laugh.

"Hey, you asked me to clean it didn't you? Towels are for the weak!" He teased and Ichigo smiled before going to grab one of those. They had a roll in the bedroom for obvious purposes.

"Well, I'll be weak then. You go to bed." He said cheerfully before cleaning up the mess. Grimmjow chuckled as he settled in the sheets. That small chore done, Ichigo curled up in bed beside him. He felt happy, safe, content and warm.

This had been a really good day.


	40. Hung like a Hamster

_Some time before the events in the last chapter._

"Shunsui, Juushiro, what's going on?" To say Starrk was confused was an understatement. "I don't understand – mph!" Shunsui pulled him into a dominating, intense kiss, silencing him easily. And Juushiro molded to his back, kissing him on the side of his throat. Then his white haired mate spoke.

"Hush Starrk. We know what we're doing." The promise in his voice… Starrk swallowed, meeting warm brown eyes. He had doubts but they slipped away as both his mates pressed against him.

"Oi! Why am I here?" Then they both pulled away, to his disappointment. But it was probably just as well with Lilinette scowling at them. "If you guys are just going to do gross adult things I'm leaving!"

"Ah, Lilinette, I'm not that much of an exhibitionist!" Shunsui said merrily, gently patting the arrancar child on the shoulder. Juushiro smiled at her and Lilinette sniffed before reaching up and picking her nose, something that made all three of them wince.

"What? I've got a boogie… oh thanks." She took the kerchief Juushiro offered and used it to blow her nose. "So when is this announcement anyway? And what are we announcing?" That was all Starrk and Lilinette knew… that his pets were gathering the fukutaichou and seated officers of both their Divisions to make a public announcement. Gathering both entire Divisions was impractical but the officers could easily disseminate the information to them.

"As soon as Nanao-chan and Tetsuya-san get everyone in place." That was Juushiro's fukutaichou. Starrk had met him and didn't entirely like him – it was hard to like someone who clearly hated you – but he was definitely competent. "Ah, I think it's time." Shunsui said cheerfully as Nanao opened the door. She nodded to her taichou, adjusting her glasses. Starrk followed although not without misgivings. What was going on?

All the seated officers and fukutaichou were waiting for them, as promised. Starrk couldn't help but feel the hostility as he followed the two taichou into the room, Lilinette by his side. Some of the shinigami regarded him with resignation, as the least unpleasant outcome for their taichou's. But many of them harbored resentment, bitterness, even hatred. How could they not? They knew that Starrk Claimed them and probably assumed he raped them for fun, as well. Why else would he have taken them in the first place?

_I don't want to be here. Why are we doing this?_ Starrk wanted to ask but couldn't. He sighed to himself, looking down. After his brief stint as Lupe, the anger he felt in the room hurt even more. _I'm not a bad man, really I'm not. It's not like that._ But he couldn't say that. It was better that they blame him than know the truth about his pets…

"We've called you here today for a very important announcement." Juushiro said with a smile, looking over the assembled shinigami. They looked back, attentive and mostly ignoring the arrancar in the room. "It has to do with myself, Shunsui and Coyote Starrk." He said and Starrk blinked, confused. Him? "We've decided it is time to tell you all the truth." He said and Starrk's mind suddenly locked up. Was he going to…? "Shunsui and I have been lovers since our days in the academy." That was clearly a bombshell going off. The air in the room suddenly went from hostile to stunned. They'd all heard of Shunsui kissing Starrk, of course, but they still hadn't expected this.

"Yes, indeed." Shunsui said with a smile as Starrk swallowed. They were choosing to come out? But why now, like this? "I'm sure you all know of my womanizing ways… well, I'm afraid that was all a bit of a pose. Although before I joined the academy I did have a bit of a career… ahem. But now, I'm quite faithful to my Juushiro-san. And, now, Starrk-san." Grey eyes slid over to him and Starrk gasped softly as his hand was taken and he was pulled forward. Juushiro put a hand on his back and Starrk turned his head, meeting brown eyes for a moment. He felt stunned by all this, the warmth in his mate's eyes.

"Oh, now I know what I'm here for! I'm here to scoop him off the floor when he passes out! You just totally broke his brain." Lilinette sounded approving and Starrk blinked as he struggling to shake off his shock. "Hey Starrk, I think you're supposed to say something!" Then a heavy boot impacted his backside and Starrk yelped.

"Lilinette!" But she was right. This was his moment to say something. Swallowing hard, the Coyote looked out over the shinigami. The hostility had been replaced by confusion, shock and something close to wonder. "I… I love both your taichou very much." He said, feeling the weight of it in his soul. "I will do everything I can to protect them. I – I might not be able to, sometimes." Aizen flashed through his mind and Starrk bit his lip, suddenly worried. This might come back to haunt them, and sooner rather than later. "But I will try." He finished quietly. He didn't know what else to say. But it seemed that was enough, as Shunsui squeezed his hand with a smile. Juushiro's hand on his back traced his spine, lending comfort to the confused and humbled Espada.

"Now, we want you to spread this to everyone in the Divisions." Shunsui said and there were a few nods. That was the usual function of meetings like this, to disseminate information to all the rank and file shinigami. "Please make sure that they understand that however it might have begun, our relationship with Starrk is voluntary now."

"And if anyone thinks otherwise, I'll be more than willing to tell them about the mess Kyoraku taichou and Starrk-sama made of his desk." Nanao said, clearly more than a bit bitter. Starrk choked a little as a small laugh went through the room. No doubt everyone had already heard of that incident. Nanao's displeasure with her taichou had been quite obvious. "By the way, never do that again!" She said to Starrk and he blushed as Lilinette laughed. "I know Shunsui won't listen to me." She groused as her taichou looked hurt.

"Oh, Nanao-chan, it was just a bit of fun!" He protested as Juushiro dismissed the rest of the officers. As they filed out Starrk heard a quiet buzz of conversation and he was sure they were discussing today's revelation. It had to be a huge shock to them, to find that two of their taichou had been doing such a thing for so long.

"I – I never imagined you would do this." Starrk said when they were alone. "Did you do this for me?" If so, he was touched but also worried.

"Yes." Juushiro said, reaching up to gently cup his cheek. Starrk swallowed at the tenderness in his face. "You said you wanted to practice with your retaining collar. That would be hard, with everyone hating and resenting you." He said softly and Starrk winced slightly at the thought. He was right, that would have been more than merely uncomfortable.

"The resentment won't go away all at once, but this will help. And besides, we decided it was time. If Soul Society can't accept this sort of thing now, when will they, eh?" Shunsui said and Starrk nodded. He did have a point. Right now, many, many people had been forced into such relationships. He wasn't sure if that would help the attitude of Soul Society any, really, but it was probably the best time to come out.

"I worry about Aizen." Starrk said in an undertone and Juushiro nodded as Shunsui sighed, his grey eyes sad. "But I see you thought about that." From the serious looks they were both giving him, they had considered it. Juushiro nodded sadly.

"We did think about that. But we finally decided that Aizen likely knows about us and if he doesn't, he definitely knows that you're attached to us." He said and Shunsui nodded.

"And it's not like you're the only one. Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Halibel… they all are very protective of their pets." He said and Starrk could only nod. It was true, he wouldn't be the only one with a clear intimate connection to his pets. And really, Aizen had to know that was inevitable. Many of the relationships would be nothing but Claimer and pet, but some would have to evolve. That happened with hollows too, although when it did a Claim usually segued into a Mating Claim.

"Hey, this is cute and all but Kimono-chan and Shiro-chan need to get to work. And you need to get to sleep, Starrk." Lilinette interrupted firmly and Juushiro smiled at her.

"And that's why you're here, to get us moving Lilinette-chan." Juushiro said teasingly and the little arrancar blew him a raspberry. "She's right though, you should go home. We'll see you before your patrol." Juushiro said and Starrk nodded.

"Goodbye then. And thank you." He said gratefully. He was shocked that his mates had come out to the Divisions, and deeply touched. It was an acknowledgement of the truth. He was part of their lives, now.

Only death could make him leave.

* * *

Starrk frowned as he stood on the edge of the battlement, looking at Barragan's back. The ancient hollow had requested his presence but now seemed strangely disinclined to speak. That would have annoyed him – he was the Primera, after all, Barragan really shouldn't be keeping him waiting – but he sensed some deep conflict was at work in the Segunda Espada.

"Describe these things to me again." He suddenly commanded and Starrk blinked. Lately a new creature had been appearing in the Rukongai although so far, they were rare. That was good because they were a more serious threat than the original scouts. These new creatures were very dangerous, especially for the numeros.

"It was red, like the others…" Starrk did his best to describe the creature. Barragan was almost growling in displeasure as he spoke. "Barragan, what's wrong?" This was unlike the former King of Hueco Mundo. He was arrogant, to be sure, but he also tended to remain calm. It was rare that he showed his temper. The old hollow grunted, turning around to look at him.

"These things you speak of… they seem familiar to me." His tone wasn't just angry, it was anxious, nearly querulous. "But I cannot remember! Why can I not remember?" Starrk's eyes widened as he suddenly realized. The war with the Red Queen had only been five thousand years ago and it had happened in Hueco Mundo, too. The lifespan of a vasto lorde was difficult to determine but Barragan was surely older than five thousand years. He'd undoubtedly seen the last conflict and might have played a great role in it. So why couldn't he remember?

_Aizen._ Starrk felt a brief moment of pity for the Second. Of course, Aizen knew how old Barragan was. He'd sealed the ancient hollows memories of that conflict away but with constant reminders, Barragan was tormented by the 'on the tip of my tongue' feeling of almost remembering. Was there anything he could do to help? He would have to ask the Visored. Perhaps Barragan could be recruited, somewhat, although that was dangerous. The elderly hollow wasn't exactly trustworthy.

"I don't know." Was all he said and Barragan grunted, turning back to the view. Starrk glanced out over the wall, looking down into the Seireitei. This was the Shihoin clan manor and they had some impressive fortifications. Perhaps… Starrk wondered. Could he give the Segunda Espada a hint? "You know, Lilinette and I played hearts the other day. The Queen of Spades is supposed to give the most points, but we decided to make it a Red Queen instead." Starrk said casually and saw Barragan's shoulders stiffen for a moment. Then he put a hand to his forehead for a moment before shaking his head.

"Are you trying to tell me something, pup?" He said and Starrk smiled a little at that. It was Barragan's favorite term for him and honestly, he vastly preferred it to the new nickname Nnoitra had saddled him with. "Do you know what I've always despised about you?" Barragan said and Starrk blinked.

"No. What?" That was interesting. He'd known for some time that the Segunda Espada strongly disliked him. The Coyote had always thought it was just envy, disgruntlement that a hollow so young could hold so much power. Barragan had climbed from being a basic hollow to the heights he currently held. Starrk hadn't. He'd leapt directly to the highest ranks, although that created its own problems…

"Your laziness." Barragan said with a grunting laugh. "All that power… wasted on a being who did nothing but sleep. What good were you? Aizen practically had to set your hair on fire just to move you!" Starrk blushed a little but couldn't deny the truth of it. He'd been unmotivated, to say the least. "But things have changed, have they not? I see you, pup. Suddenly taking an interest in artwork. Fraternizing with the shinigami… what has changed with you?" Barragan asked and Starrk winced, dropping his eyes. Barragan had noticed too much. But then, he wasn't particularly loyal to Aizen.

"I would rather not say. Have you mentioned this to Aizen?" He asked quietly. He really had no interest in rehashing his painful past with Barragan, who would only be minimally interested. The older hollow grunted, his eyes darkening.

"No. I am not a fool. This never happens to me, this almost remembering and I can think of an explanation." His tone was dark and Starrk nodded. Really, there was only one person who could be clouding Barragan's mind. "But you might want to watch yourself, pup. A Red Queen, eh?" Barragan ran a thumb over his mustache before musing. "Another thing that is so strangely familiar… we'll see. We'll see. Go home to your doting pets, pup. I'll see if I can make sense of the riddle you've given me."

"Hai." Starrk said before bowing slightly and making his exit. Small displays of respect always pleased Barragan, particularly coming from someone as powerful as the Primera. Starrk didn't mind. Just Barragan's age was deserving of respect.

And perhaps, the old hollow would find the answers he was seeking.

* * *

"Yo, pocket rocket! What's the bitch doing here?" Nnoitra asked with a grin and Lilinette laughed. Starrk gritted his teeth, tempted to snarl at them both. They were early to an Espada meeting and now he wished they'd been late.

"Don't call me that!" He snapped and Nnoitra just laughed. Oh, how he wished he could shove those teeth down the other Espada's throat! But that would be more in Grimmjow's character than his own. But then a voice spoke from behind him.

"Yeah, can it Nnoi or I'll call Ichigo and we'll kick your ass." Grimmjow said and Starrk smiled at him gratefully. Nnoitra scowled.

"Oi! Whatever. You're as big of a sap about your pet as he is. Hmph, Aizen should take them away from you, you're a fucking wuss Starrk." Nnoitra said and Starrk tensed. That was his greatest fear. Then Grimmjow snorted.

"You better hope he doesn't! Then Starrk'll show up pantless because his pets ain't dressing him and you'll have to deal with feeling inadequate for the rest of the day." Starrk choked at that, blushing, as Lilinette just looked puzzled. He took his seat on his cushion, trying to compose himself. It was sort of flattering, that Grimmjow thought he was… impressive… but still embarrassing.

"Oi! Don't you know it's proportional, dumbass? I'm way fucking taller than him!" Nnoitra protested as he took his seat and Starrk put a hand over his face. Then he lowered it with a frown as Yammy laughed.

"What the fuck? I'm bigger than any of you! You should hear the sounds my pet makes when he takes it!" He bragged and Starrk's eyes narrowed as he picked up his tea. He took a slow and deliberate sip before speaking.

"You're hung like a hamster, Yammy. I would know, I was there." Everyone knew Yammy had managed to blackmail him into his bed. He might as well get something out of it. Ulquiorra was just entering the room when he said that – he was always perfectly on time – and disbelief flashed briefly over his face before it faded into I-don't-care-and-I-don't-want-to-know. A frequent lack of expression on the Fourth. Yammy flushed with rage and spluttered but couldn't think of anything to say as Nnoitra and Grimmjow laughed. Then Lilinette spoke, sounding confused and a little frustrated.

"I don't get it. What are you guys talking about? Is this gross adult things again?" She asked and Grimmjow grinned at her.

"Yep. Don't you worry your pretty l'il head over it." He told the smaller half of the Primera and she scowled before giving him the finger. "Nice! What are you teaching that kid, Starrk?"

"She's always known that. Lilinette, hush." The Coyote said gloomily before glancing at Nnoitra. "And I don't know why she wants to come. She just insisted." That question had been the thing to start the entire conversation. Nnoitra just shrugged as Aizen entered the room.

"Starrk. Why is your fraccion here?" Their ultimate overlord asked and Starrk winced. He'd sort of hoped that would pass by without comment. Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn't going to be that lucky.

"Hey! I'm half of him, not just a fraccion! I'm the Primera too, I got rights!" Lilinette protested as everyone looked at them. Starrk just shrugged helplessly. "I want to ask Aizen-kami something but it can wait until the meeting's over. I don't want dunderduff there makin' fun of me." She stuck out her tongue at Nnoitra, who stuck his out right back. The Espada easily won that little contest. Aizen shook his head.

"I can't wait to see what you want… but for now, let us begin." This was an Espada meeting only, since it really didn't concern the pets. Mostly things about the arrancar Divisions. They were still suffering losses in the Rukongai, despite going around in pairs. Pairs were still disappearing and they knew now that there was at least one vasto lorde there. Nnoitra and Grimmjow were both assigned to try to capture and bring it in, but they were both strictly forbidden to kill it. Aizen wanted the hollow alive for mask breaking. And it didn't really matter if the powerful hollow refused… he would just use his power to change his or her mind. Starrk wondered why a vasto lorde was hanging around the Rukongai but he was glumly certain it had a lot to do with the Red Queen. How hot were things getting in Hueco Mundo right now? How much time did they really have left?

Starrk listened carefully to the other reports and assignments although they didn't largely affect him. But Yoruichi might want the information on the arrancar deployments. As he listened he closed his eyes and pretended to doze. Barragan probably wasn't fooled, but hopefully everyone else would be. He pretended to sleep through the end of the meeting and only 'woke up' with a yelp as Lilinette elbowed him.

"Stop being lazy Starrk! So Aizen-kami, we're going to guard the towers in two weeks, right?" She said and Aizen nodded, mildly amused. "Can we take one of our pets with us? Please, can we can we can we?"

"Wait, what?" Starrk's brain locked up at the thought and he looked at Lilinette wide eyed. Not that he would object to having them there but they had duties in Soul Society. Why would she want one of them? "Lilinette?" He asked and she scowled at him.

"I don't want to die a virgin Starrk!" She snapped and he blinked at her as Aizen looked puzzled. It wasn't an expression that usually graced kami's face. "My step-dad doesn't fucking count! I want to really lose my cherry!"

"Excuse me, but how would having Shunsui or Juushiro with you in the Living world help you do that?" Aizen asked and Starrk suddenly knew what she was talking about. She was talking about – but then she put it into words.

"If we have sex with them in our release I'll feel everything Starrk's feeling! I'll finally know what sex is like, real sex, not baby fucking." She said and Starrk winced. Aizen made the tiniest expression of distaste. But practically his only piece of conventional morality was a dislike for pedophilia. "But we can't release here and taking 'em into the bushes somewhere ain't a good idea with those red things around. But we can totally release in Karakura town and no one'll care! There's no one there to care, ya? It's perfect!" She stopped and looked at Aizen hopefully. He mulled it over for a moment before nodding.

"Shunsui and Juushiro both have duties here. They can't stay with you the entire time but it won't take nearly that long for you to lose your virginity." He said in a very amused tone and Starrk felt his cheeks heat. Lilinette could be so embarrassing, sometimes. Although she had a much better point than Aizen knew… their time might be quite limited. "You can take one of them but not both." He said and Starrk looked at Lilinette questioningly. She thought about it for a moment.

"Kimono-chan! Starrk makes the funniest noises when they do things." She said firmly and Starrk choked, his cheeks heating. Had she been listening at the door again? But Aizen just laughed.

"Very well. Do tell me how it turns out." He said with a rather predatory smile and Starrk hoped that kami wasn't planning to call him in for a performance. Although if he was, well, he would have to submit. Bowing to their overlord he quickly made his exit with Lilinette.

At least his next trip to the Living World would be more interesting than usual.

* * *

Starrk drank deeply from the bucket of water. Then he poured the rest over his head before shaking violently, sending the water flying from strands of dark brown hair. His hair began to freeze instantly but that suited the overheated arrancar just fine.

"I don't know how you can do that. If it were me, I'd be dying!" The shinigami beside him said and Starrk grinned.

"You've been working me hard. And I don't feel the cold, with my hierro, but I do feel the burn." The burn being the pushing of his muscles and body to their very limit. The man shook his head. He was Shunsui's first seat, a rather powerful, mostly bald man by the name of Kiyoshi. He was Claimed, but considered himself fortunate in that one of the few female arrancar had taken him. Starrk was inclined to agree. Just because of their anatomy, female arrancar tended to be slightly less sexually predatory than the males.

"Lupe… um… Starrk, can I ask you something?" Kiyoshi said and Starrk nodded.

"Of course. And you can call me Lupe if you want. It's actually my name, from when I was alive." He said easily. He could tell a lot of the shinigami in the Eighth preferred to refer to him that way. Kiyoshi nodded, then continued with his thought.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked and the Coyote paused, the water bucket still in his hands. "I mean, you defeated our taichou. Why are you sparring with us? Hitomi thinks you're just trying to humiliate us but I'm not so sure." Starrk winced a little to himself at that assessment. Then he shook his head.

"No, I'm trying to learn." He said honestly. Kiyoshi gave him a skeptical look. "What, do you think I have nothing to learn?" He tried to sound hurt and the shinigami snorted.

"Aizen could likely teach you something, but it's hard to see how we could. You defeated our taichou, the strongest among us." He pointed out, then stopped, looking down. "The strongest left in the Gotei 13… well, seven now." He said in an undertone and Starrk sighed, looking down before setting the water bucket aside. Then he reached out to grip the shinigami's arm comfortingly.

"I didn't defeat Kyoraku taichou. Aizen did." He said quietly as Kiyoshi looked up, startled by the answer. Starrk knew it would sound strange to him. After all, he'd brought Shunsui down as Aizen smiled and watched. "It was his plan. I merely executed it. I was his instrument, like Wonderweiss in a way. Do you know how I defeated him?"

"I… no. How?" The first seat asked, almost mesmerized by Starrk's solemn tone. The Coyote smiled, ever so slightly, and released his arm before he continued.

"I used my reiatsu to break his shikai. All reality warping shikai have the same weakness… if you are facing an opponent with reiatsu significantly higher than your own, the owner of that reiatsu can use it to overcome the power of your blade. That is what I did to Shunsui." He said, remembering the moment and the look on his mate's face as he realized he was doomed. It pained him, now. "Aizen taught me the technique and coached me… he had me practice on Tosen's bankai. I can't tell you what his bankai does, he would be upset, but it's also a reality warping effect. When I could shatter it reliably, Aizen knew I would be able to take Kyoraku's shikai." Starrk still wondered what Shunsui hadn't used bankai. But then, he'd tricked the shinigami into thinking shikai would be sufficient. "But I did not defeat him through skill. In terms of skill, your taichou defeated me." Starrk admitted as Kiyoshi's eyes widened. "He almost had me… he distracted me, took the high ground and even the correct color. If I hadn't managed to release my power in that instant he would have cut me in half." Starrk still remembered his panic as he'd realized the haori was a feint. "But I did. And that blow became a painful but non-lethal slash, and I had him." Without the power of his shikai behind it, the blow had been very painful but certainly not enough to kill the Coyote. And the element of surprise had been total. Shunsui hadn't stood a chance at that point.

"I still don't understand why you're here. With that kind of power, why do you need to do this?" The shinigami asked and Starrk wished he had a better explanation. 'Because I want to kill Aizen' most certainly would not do. However…

"I just want to be better. I have two tiny children counting on me." He said quietly and Kiyoshi looked away with a frown. What did the shinigami think of the babies, he wondered? Perhaps they could bring them to the Division to see everyone sometime. "I want to learn to use my power more efficiently. Because right now, if I met an opponent of equal or superior power I would be in a great deal of trouble." Starrk had no doubt at all of that. The first seat nodded slowly.

"Well, I would like to get better too. Maybe you should move the setting on that limiter up by one." He said and Starrk smiled before reaching for the collar. Another stone went dark and his power increased fractionally.

"Kiyoshi!" The man with him looked up, startled, and Starrk glanced over with a frown. That voice was vaguely familiar but not in a good way. The arrancar female running up to them was definitely familiar and Starrk groaned to himself as he put a name and face to that high, sweet voice.

"Trinetta." He honestly couldn't stand the numero. Was that who Kiyoshi was Claimed by? If so, he pitied the man. Starrk considered her to be a manipulative, two-faced, lying little bitch. Not to mention a whore who would spread her legs for anyone and a bit of an emotional vampire. However, she wasn't physically violent and would likely be protective of her pet. He supposed, from Kiyoshi's standpoint, that it could be much worse. At least he would have a very pleasant body to grace his bed.

And it was pleasant. Despite his detestation for the woman, Starrk couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she was. She had warm skin reminiscent of Halibel's, very long legs that led to a perky ass and breasts that were as large as the late Nelliel's. She was tall woman, just a touch shorter than Starrk himself. She had a few inches on Kiyoshi which looked a touch odd.

What really looked odd, though, were the bruises and obvious bite marks on her. She started sobbing to Kiyoshi about Nnoitra as the man looked stricken and tried to comfort her. Starrk sighed to himself, rubbing his forehead. He had no doubt that Nnoitra had raped her, although technically there might have been some coerced element of consent. He also had no doubt that she was overemphasizing any emotional pain she felt. Still, perhaps it was better not to interfere. Trinetta wanted sympathy from her pet and giving her what she wanted was a wise move for Kiyoshi.

"I think I'll go see what Lilinette is up to." He quietly excused himself and the shinigami gave him a grateful glance. Starrk reached up, breaking some of the ice crystals off his hair as he left in search of his fraccion. Kinomi had some family commitments and the babies were both sleeping, so she'd randomly shown up as he was practicing.

Now, of course, she was randomly causing trouble. Starrk groaned as he saw her standing over a writhing shinigami. Several others were watching, clearly unsure of what to do.

"Hah! Take that you – eep!" Lilinette yelped as he grabbed her arm, yanking it up and pulling her away. "Uh… it's not what it looks like!"

"Really? Because it looks like you kicked him in the crotch." Starrk said mildly, glancing down at the man. There were tears in his eyes and he was panting heavily. "What is this unhealthy fascination you have with testicles? Me, Grimmjow and now this poor fellow… Why do you always do that?" Really, they did seem to be Lilinette's target of choice.

"Um… I had a really bad childhood! You know that Starrk!" She protested and he sighed, letting go of her arm and gripping her shoulder instead.

"I know. But what started this? Tell me the truth Lilinette." He said warningly as she fidgeted.

"He grabbed me!" She said, trying to defend herself. He just waited patiently, giving her the same kind of stare he would have when he'd been alive. Lupe had known how to handle younger siblings. "…I just wanted to look at it!"

"Look at it?" Starrk glanced around and his eyes immediately fell on the shinigami's zanpakuto. It was on the ground and he very much doubted the man had drawn it. "Lilinette. You should very well know that a shinigami's zanpakuto is half of their soul. You cannot demand to look at it." That had to be extremely rude. "Also, what did I tell you about taking things that aren't yours?" He asked. She wouldn't understand why she shouldn't, but that was fine. Lilinette could still understand rules.

"…Don't do it." She said, sounding very much like a guilty and unhappy child.

"And what did I say about hurting people for no reason?" He asked and her single eye began to tear up. Starrk suppressed any sympathy. Lilinette needed to stop being such a brat. He really wanted her to be socially acceptable, or as close as a hollow could come.

"…Don't do it." She said and he nodded.

"Now, say you're sorry to that man." He said firmly as the shinigami managed to sit up. He was looking at them with anger and disbelief. Lilinette fidgeted, clearly not wanting to say any such thing.

"…I'msorry." She mumbled almost inaudibly and Starrk frowned. That would not do.

"Louder, Lilinette." He said sternly and she sniffled a little before suddenly bursting into tears.

"I'm sorry! Ahhhh Starrk stop being so mean to me I'm just a hollow I can't help it!" She sobbed uncontrollably and Starrk sighed, bending over and gathering her in his arms.

"Shhh. I know." He whispered, gently patting her helmet. "I just want you to learn how to pretend, Lilinette." He knew he couldn't change her nature. When they had separated she'd kept all the hollowness of them. His poor little Lily, the perfect hollow, innocent in her complete amorality. "It's not that hard, really. It's just a few rules and then people will like you more." He didn't want Lilinette to be isolated by her hollowness. Even other hollows could have a bit of trouble with her. She liked to bully them with the threat of her other half's power. "Come on. Why don't we see if Kyoraku has some cookies?" He said encouragingly and Lilinette immediately pepped up a little. "But if you have one you have to promise to be good." He cautioned and she nodded.

"I'll be good Starrk, I promise!" She said before looking at the shinigami again. He'd gotten to his feet, a bit painfully, and put away his zanpakuto. "Sorry I kicked you." She sounded like she meant it and he nodded.

"It's alright Lilinette-sama." He said and Starrk was relieved to see he didn't seem too resentful, now. The scolding had likely helped. Tugging Lilinette away he took her in search of cookies.

He would have liked to continue his training but sometimes, other things were more important.


	41. Sex and Punishment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I wasn't going to include this but I decided it was too good to leave out. Also, I was having a lot of trouble getting inspired for the other chapter and this just took my fancy. Enjoy the crack pairing!

_How the hell did I get in this fix?_ Starrk wondered as he countered his opponents' strikes. They were lightning fast, but he was faster. That was a simple fact of reiatsu. The larger the reiatsu pool, the faster the potential speed. Skill did factor in, of course, but even before his training his skill with sonido had been good. Now it was great.

None of that made him feel better because he could not, _could not_ defeat his opponent. The thought of killing her revolted him and taking her in alive would be even worse. That meant he had to lose. But how? How could he make it look genuine, and not just as though he was throwing the battle away?

The look on Soi Fon's face as she attacked him was one of complete absorption. She was using her full skill on him, not holding back at all. Starrk didn't doubt that she wouldn't kill him but she would injure him severely, if she had the chance. That was only good sense… this wouldn't look real if he walked away unscathed.

Worse, Shunsui was there as well. He shouldn't have been. But when Ulquiorra had come to collect him he'd been in the Eighth Division, practicing against Kyoraku. The Fourth had ordered him to come and as an afterthought, had told him to take his pet. Starrk had known better to disobey. Such an abrupt summons had to mean something interesting was about to happen and while Ulquiorra might be beneath him in rank, he was much closer to Aizen.

What was happening was a trap Ulquiorra had set. Starrk was vague on the details but Soi Fon, Shinji, Kensei and Hiyori had all been lured into an ambush. Shunsui was fighting Shinji and was as desperately unwilling to actually hurt the man as Starrk was. The only one fighting with deadly intent was Ulquiorra and he was handling both Kensei and Hiyori. Starrk could only hope they would survive.

Starrk tried to slow slightly, as if he was tiring. Hopefully Ulquiorra was too absorbed with his own battle to notice. Swallowing hard, he deliberately made an opening. Grey eyes met grey as Soi Fon's weapon darted forward. Starrk gagged in pain as Suzumebachi's stinger dug deeply into his guts. The pain was excruciating, but he'd expected it. He kept trying to fight – he would, in a real battle – but now his movements were genuinely slowing. He deliberately made his ceros clumsy and slow. This had to look good…

Another strike took him in the back and Starrk felt an odd coldness in his core. He instantly knew what Soi Fon had done… she'd used some kind of poison on him. Not the venom of her zanpakuto, it was something she'd applied to the surface. Silently he blessed her intelligence. Perhaps the work of a poison could disguise his own deliberate incompetence. As he began to fall, Shunsui suddenly appeared and caught him. His mate was bleeding from several cuts and looking rather battered, but still a going concern.

Although not for long. Soi Fon struck at his back and Starrk was absolutely certain Shunsui could have avoided her. He was too old and experienced not to feel what was coming. But he kept his focus on the arrancar in his arms and hardly made a sound as her shikai went home. Starrk caught the faintest smile on his face as they fell from the sky together.

Then the coldness seemed to spread to his mind and darkness dragged him under.

* * *

Later, of course, there was hell to pay.

Starrk had hoped that the whole thing would blow over. He didn't expect it though and his expectations were correct. Aizen called Ulquiorra in to give him a full rendition of the battle and where it had gone wrong. Finding out that the Primera had been defeated by Soi Fon did not please him, at all. They might have gotten past that but Shunsui had fallen to her too. Weakened by Shinji, yes, but Aizen knew what his fellow taichou could do.

Starrk closed his eyes as he knelt in front of the throne, waiting on Aizen's pleasure. This was going to be bad. If he was lucky the punishment would fall fully on himself. He didn't think he was going to be lucky and forced himself not to glance at his mate, kneeling beside him. Shunsui had his eyes closed and appeared to be meditating. Starrk was sure he was mentally preparing himself for torture.

"Starrk." Aizen's voice was warm and kind. Starrk shuddered internally. He would have preferred anger… this was going to be bad. "Ulquiorra says your efforts were average at best. Yet, I've heard reports that you've been training hard with the shinigami. I had such high hopes. What happened?" Aizen sounded honestly concerned. Starrk wasn't foolish enough to believe it for a moment.

"I… had already been practicing very hard that morning. Perhaps I was tired." Starrk murmured, knowing it was a pitiful excuse. His reiatsu pool was too deep for that. Aizen chuckled softly before turning his attention to Shunsui.

"And you, Kyoraku? Were you tired too?" Shunsui didn't even bother to respond, keeping his head down and his eyes closed. His straw hat shaded his face and if someone hadn't known better they might have thought he was sleeping. "Or were you, perhaps, sympathetic to the cause of your fellow taichou?" Aizen asked idly and again, Shunsui said nothing. "Although the vizard were under a death sentence. Hirako Shinji…" He mused before turning his attention to Starrk. "I hardly expect anything better from him. But you could have compelled him to fight his best, Starrk. Unless you've allowed the Claim on him to falter?" The suggestion of that made his mouth go dry. If he was no longer keeping his pets under control...

"My Claim is strong, Aizen-kami. Ulquiorra did not tell us who we would be engaging until the trap was sprung. I thought it might have been the red things… I wasn't aware that extra reinforcement would be needed until I was already engaged." Starrk said and knew he'd made a mistake. Aizen's eyes narrowed dangerously at the mention of the Red Queen. The scent of his anger was suddenly in the air and Starrk looked down, feeling a bit of sweat trickling down his face. Aizen came to his feet, walking over to him and gripping his hair. Starrk gasped as his head was jerked back, his eyes meeting Aizen's.

"Your pet should always be fully under your control, Starrk. And what about your own performance?" Starrk couldn't look away. Those black and purple eyes seemed to suck him in, filling his world. "Do you, perhaps, sympathize with your pets?" Aizen asked softly and Starrk whined, a pitiful, supplicating sound. He had the insane urge to lick Aizen's lips, gently nibble the flesh. That was a canine instinct, the way a pup begged the dam for food. Adults used it as a sign of submission, weak to strong. Of course, even if he was free to do it Aizen wouldn't appreciate the gesture. "Do you love them Starrk?"

"Yes." Starrk said hoarsely. There was no point in denying it. Everyone knew what he'd said. Aizen's hand tightened in his hair for a moment before he was abruptly released.

"I should never have expected anything better of you. You've always been weak." Starrk almost flinched at the quiet, almost musing tone. "Not your strength, but your mind… of course two like Shunsui and Juushiro would be too much for you." Starrk froze, pure terror flowing through him. Was Aizen going to…? "I'm tempted to take them away from you. But you would fight me, wouldn't you?" Aizen sighed as he looked them both over. Shunsui's head was still down, his expression hidden, but his hands were wound tight in the sleeves of his kimono. "I could forcibly break the Claim. But that might kill you." Starrk looked down, shivering slightly. He knew that was true. That was why Aizen had tortured him the first time, trying to force him to relinquish a pet. With as strong as his Claims had been that time, his death would have been assured. This time… he wasn't sure. It had been some time since he'd renewed his Claim on his pets. If they survived this he would have to fix that. "And then I would have the nuisance of finding places for them… yes. I'm going to give you one last chance, Starrk." Aizen said as he reached down to stroke Starrk's cheek. The Coyote looked at him with guarded hope. "But you will have to prove yourself to me."

"…How may I do that, Aizen-sama?" Starrk asked, dreading the answer. His dread increased as Aizen smiled. It was a cruel, cold expression.

"You will punish your pet." He said softly and Starrk swallowed. He didn't think this would be a simple whipping. Aizen produced a small dagger, infusing it with his own reiatsu before offering it to the Coyote. "With this. Shunsui, take off your hat." There was a moment of hesitation before Shunsui reached up and removed his straw hat, setting it aside. "I want you to slice out his left eye." Aizen said calmly and Starrk's mind locked up in horror. Shunsui closed his eyes again, his lips moving soundlessly. A prayer? Starrk didn't know.

"A-Aizen…" Starrk swallowed hard. He had to try. He had to. "I am accustomed to fighting half-blind in my resurrection. Please, let me take this punishment. I can have Shunsui do it…" Kyoraku suddenly gave him a sharp look and Starrk was absolutely certain his mate felt about that the same way he felt about this. Aizen saw it and laughed.

"I believe Kyoraku taichou does not favor that. No, Starrk. I want you to prove your strength to me." Aizen said, his voice warm and happy. Starrk whimpered softly before steeling himself. He had to do this. Stepping up to Shunsui he paused, preparing himself. His mate opened his eyes and looked at him calmly.

"The world is cruel and there is no god…" Starrk whispered to himself. But that wasn't true anymore. No, there was a cruel, capricious god in this so-called heaven. "I'm sorry." How this hurt. Then he struck.

His aim was true and blood gushed from the sudden wound. A grimace of pain crossed Kyoraku's face as he lowered his head, his hand over his ruined eye. Starrk wavered on his feet, feeling sick and cold. He wanted to take his mate in his arms, cry and comfort him and be comforted but he couldn't. Aizen was still watching…

"Very good Starrk." The bloodied knife hit the floor as arms went around him from behind and Starrk gasped as he was drawn back. He ended up sitting in Aizen's lap, on the throne. A door opened and Unohana walked in. Her lips tightened as she went to Kyoraku, kneeling beside him and beginning the healing process. The way she had to draw off Aizen's reiatsu made it even more unpleasant and tears filled Starrk's eyes at the muffled sound of pain as Unohana had to touch the ruined orb. "Try not to be soft in the future. Or I might risk shattering your soul to remove them from you." Starrk nodded, feeling sick as a warm hand ran through his hair in a parody of tenderness. "Unohana, when you're done take him to Grimmjow for the second half of his punishment." Aizen said absently and Starrk's stomach locked up. Grimmjow? That made him feel ill… Grimmjow wouldn't go out of his way to torture Shunsui but by the very nature of his 'work', Kyoraku would absolutely hate it. He hated being out of control and hated being penetrated, two things Grimmjow would have to do to him. "Now, for your punishment…" Starrk bit back a groan as dark power caressed his skin. Not to cause pain, but rather insane pleasure that almost mimicked a Claim. He would have preferred pain at this moment and Aizen knew it. Aizen laughed in his ear and Starrk felt himself lifted up. He couldn't fight, only grip his god's shoulders as he was carried out of the room. This was going to be a bad, bad night. He only hoped that Grimmjow could go easy on Shunsui. Starrk doubted it, though.

Aizen wanted them punished and what he wanted, he got.

* * *

"Yo, Gin, who am I doing today?" Grimmjow asked, bored and slightly annoyed. Being this close to his boss was already getting irritating. He'd had the day off but now he'd suddenly been summoned away from his mate and children. "And I am getting another day off to make up for this, right?" Although that would put his work behind. There was no way to win.

"Yar, yar, whatever. We got something special for you today Grimm!" Gin said with insane cheerfulness and Grimmjow frowned as he looked at the half-open door in front of him. "You have fun!" He wasn't saying who it was, Grimmjow noted. No doubt there was a camera in that room to catch his reaction for posterity. Grimacing, he walked past the crazy shinigami and shoved the door open. He might as well see who was going to be feeling his dick today.

He couldn't keep himself from reacting as he saw Starrk's pet. He knew Gin would love the look on his face, but he just couldn't help it. Gin had already been playing with Kyoraku, from the looks of things. The poor bastard was fixed in a kneeling position, his arms behind him and his wrists tied to a ring on the floor, forcing his chest out. His cock was erect, huge and dripping a bit. It was impressively large, Grimmjow noticed absently. The cock ring on the base immediately pissed him off.

"Fuck! Gin, you goddamned amateur!" Grimmjow called back, hearing a titter. Then he went to Kyoraku. The shinigami was grimacing, biting his lip and Grimmjow wondered how long the thing had been on him. Muttering to himself he quickly freed the shinigami's cock. "You can only leave those on so long before they cause damage, you never start with that first…" There was a rhythm to this sort of thing and he was an expert on it. Gin was probably pretty good too but picking up in the middle of what someone else was doing just sucked. Scowling, he quickly lengthened the ropes so the shinigami could sit up properly. "Just relax for a moment, ya?" He said shortly and Shunsui nodded, relief on his face at the change of position. Grimmjow went to the door and shut it, scowling. Gin could watch the tapes if he wanted but he wasn't going to give the pervert a live show. Then he went back to the shinigami.

"Thank you." Kyoraku said softly and Grimmjow frowned as he saw the eyepatch. He'd noticed it immediately, of course, but now he gave it his full attention. It was made out of soft linen and held in place with medical bands. There was a crust of blood on it, the wound was damned fresh.

"What happened to you?" He asked, reaching out to touch the shinigami's cheek and tilt his head slightly. Kyoraku didn't try to resist, not that he could. Grimmjow hadn't released him, just eased the tension so he could get a bit more comfortable.

"Aizen decided my efforts on the battlefield were unacceptable. I admit, I've had better days." Shunsui said lightly and Grimmjow lifted an eyebrow. He'd seen the bastard fight, a few times. He was scary good, good enough that Starrk had come close to defeat when they'd tangled. And his shikai was brutal. "It was Soi Fon." He said quietly and Grimmjow winced.

"Right." That needed no more explanation. Leaving aside the fact that Soi Fon was an old friend, she knew all about Starrk's treachery. If she was captured they would be totally fucked. Shunsui sighed before managing a small smile.

"Several of the Visored as well, but she was the one who got me. Aizen had Starrk blind me." He said with lightness that didn't disguise the anger beneath. Grimmjow grimaced at the thought. Starrk had to be a nervous wreck right about now.

"Where's Starrk?" He asked, giving the shinigami a bit more time to recover. He checked and saw that his cock had gone down. There wasn't too much of a mark from the ring which was good. Gin hadn't fucked things up too badly.

"Receiving his own punishment with Aizen." Kyoraku said and Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair. This was a big pile of elephant turds. And the worst part was, he couldn't see a damned thing they could have done differently. Starrk and Shunsui couldn't afford to have any of the Visored captured, of course they had to throw the fight.

"Well, I'm sorry and all but it looks like I'm going to be fucking you today." He said and saw Shunsui swallow, a quick flash of apprehension before his face settled into an emotionless mask. Grimmjow grinned and leaned forward, breathing in his ear. "Be a very good boy and maybe I'll ride your cock." Not at first though. Grimmjow never did that first thing… in fact, he rarely did it at all. But it wasn't unknown if a victim really caught his fancy. A flicker of surprise passed over Shunsui's face.

Grimmjow glanced over the current bondage situation and decided it would do. Tightening the ropes again he began to explore the shinigami. He liked the hair. Oddly, it reminded him of himself when he'd been alive. He'd been a hairy man in every way. Grimmjow glanced up as he paused on one nipple, slowly sucking on the pert little nub. Shunsui's chin was down, his face tight with the effort not to react. Suddenly he decided that just would not do. This was a challenge and he was going to take it.

Letting go of that nipple with a lewd pop, Grimmjow gripped chestnut hair and yanked Shunsui's head back. A pained grunt reminded him of the eye and he loosened his grip before nuzzling the shinigami's cheek in a mute apology. Tilting his head back more gently, Grimmjow began exploring the pale throat, sucking and leaving his marks behind. As he did he dropped his other hand to the shinigami's crotch. His little friend was coming to life again, however much he might resist. Grimmjow chuckled harshly before he took that cock in his hand, slowly stroking the firming flesh. It quickly got a lot harder, with his skillful fingers teasing it.

"You are pretty fucking sexy shinigami. I love dominating a strong man." Grimmjow purred. That was what had drawn him to Ichigo and Shunsui was reminding him a lot of his mate. Not as he was now, but the way he'd been at the start. When he'd hated every moment of pleasure Grimmjow was giving him but been helpless to resist. Yeah, Kyoraku was hitting those same buttons and despite his desire to remain faithful to his mate, he liked it. There was a strangled chuckle and Grimmjow lifted his face from that neck, looking into Shunsui's remaining eye.

"Yet, you hate being dominated." He said and Grimmjow blinked before grinning. That was pretty good.

"Yeah, I do. Fucking hypocrite, ain't I?" He said before going back down, finding the shinigami's other nipple and nursing it like a suckling kit. The sound Shunsui made before he forced it back… oh yeah, he was getting off on this.

Grimmjow was as good at delaying orgasm on a man as a woman. He proved that now, bringing Kyoraku right to the brink before denying him release. The cock ring got used, but only for brief periods. Dirty talk got plenty of play, too. Really, the whole thing was fun as hell although Shunsui probably disagreed.

"You like how this feels, shinigami?" Grimmjow breathed on Shunsui's hot, straining cock. Then he took just the head in his mouth, sucking slowly, letting the shinigami get just a taste of the pleasure. His hips bucked helplessly although he couldn't move too much. The ropes took care of that. Then he pulled back, grinning wickedly. "You want more? You just have to say." He purred before gently kissing the shinigami's muscular thighs. This man was all hard muscle, something Grimmjow deeply approved of. He liked his men to be men and his women to be women. Pausing, he licked away a trail of sweat, rolling the salty flavor on his tongue.

"Oh kami…" Shunsui groaned, sounding like he was in torment. A pleasurable torment, but torment all the same. Grimmjow chuckled before slowly licking his balls, teasing just a bit. That wouldn't get him off but oh, how it would feel to the bound and helpless man.

"Aizen ain't here. He's probably wanking off to this, if he isn't fucking Starrk." That made the shinigami stiffen and Grimmjow almost regretted saying it. It was nothing but the truth though. "And Gin's got this recording, you can bet on it. They're gonna be wanking off to you for months."

"…You… just made this so much worse…" Shunsui said with a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Grimmjow frowned before pulling away and looking at the shinigami's face. Ah… he'd gone a bit too far with that one. There were a few tears running down that strong, handsome face, for all the shinigami was trying to hold them back.

"Hey." He said quietly before wiping those tears away with his thumb. "Starrk'll live. Nothing he hasn't been through before. And Gin's got a wanking library, the fucking pervert. You'll be in good company." Grimmjow sometimes suspected that Gin had joined Aizen solely for the sexual freedom the traitor offered. If so he could sort of sympathize. Soul Society was so fucking uptight, or it had been anyway. "I wanted to make you beg for it but maybe I'll go a bit easier on you." Shunsui clearly wasn't the type to beg. A lot like Ichigo, really. "I want… to hear you say Starrk's name." Grimmjow suddenly commanded. Not that he really got off on it, but this was a punishment. Shunsui lifted his head, a bit confused. Then Grimmjow went down and took that cock back in his mouth, making the shinigami groan. He gave a few good, hard sucks before pausing to speak. "Call his name or I'll stop." That would probably be easier for Shunsui but still humiliating enough for Aizen. The shinigami seemed to get it and he groaned as Grimmjow went back down on his dick.

"Starrk." Shunsui moaned, his voice thick with desire. "Oh kami, Starrk…" Grimmjow liked that tone. He didn't think he'd have gotten anything close to that, if he'd made Kyoraku beg for his cock. Yeah, this was better. He deep throated the shinigami, relaxing his throat and taking that huge cock deep. Shunsui cried out at the incredible heat and tension surrounding him. "Starrk!" Grimmjow felt that cock throb and clamped down on the base of Kyoraku's erection, preventing the release. He heard a groan of absolute frustration and grinned to himself. Shunsui was just dying for it. Pulling away, he decided it was time for the final act of this play.

"You've been a good boy, so I think it's time for a reward." Grimmjow purred before adjusting the ropes slightly. There were ties on Kyoraku's ankles, holding him in that kneeling position. Those had to go and he stripped them away, pulling the shinigami's legs out. His arms were still bound behind him but no longer strained by the ropes. It was a far more comfortable position, in a lot of ways. Then Grimmjow mounted him, facing away. Shunsui might be a shinigami but he understood hollow ways by now. Grimmjow had his standards and he wasn't going to fuck the shinigami face to face.

And this position had advantages anyway. He slowly began to open himself, aware that he'd be giving Shunsui one hell of a show. And aroused as he was, Grimmjow was willing to bet the shinigami wouldn't be able to look away. From the ragged sound of his breathing, he was dead right about that. Just to make it worse, he caught the shinigami's cock between his muscular ass cheeks and began to slowly, teasingly rub up and down on him. Shunsui groaned as his erection jolted teasingly against the cleft of his ass. Grimmjow chuckled and gripped it before slowly easing himself down on the shinigami's cock. He had to pause for a moment to adjust, holding down Kyoraku's hips as he tried to thrust. He was still in charge here. He was letting Shunsui into his body on his own terms.

The burn dwindled and Grimmjow growled as he let go of those trembling hips and began to move. Shunsui reacted like a man starved for air, thrusting up desperately to meet every downward drop of his hips. Grimmjow groaned, low and deep as the shinigami man hit something nice, deep inside. His cock was every bit as big as Ichigo's… gripping those hairy legs, Grimmjow let Kyoraku set the pace. It was fast and relentless as the shinigami searched for the orgasm he'd been denied for so long.

It didn't take him too long to find it. The thrusts became more and more urgent, broken and surging as Kyoraku's breath came in harsh gasps. Grimmjow groaned, feeling his own pleasure coming closer and closer. He fisted his own erection, stroking it in time with the body writhing beneath him. He'd been turned on for a while, too, and he wanted to get off. Shunsui suddenly stiffened with a strangled scream, his body arching as he came. Grimmjow could feel the intensity of the orgasm, the way his body shook and his feet curled as he spent himself inside the arrancar. The sight was intensely arousing and Grimmjow howled like a cat in heat as he found his own moment of pleasure. His cock erupted, coating his hand and splattering on Shunsui's legs.

It took them both a while to come down from that high. Shunsui's breathing was ragged at first, gradually slowing and evening out. Grimmjow's breathing was nearly as harsh as he pulled away, letting the shinigami's cock slide out of him. A trail of wetness followed and Grimmjow grimaced slightly. He hated that about taking the bottom. Turning around, he straddled the shinigami's waist and looked into his face. Kyoraku's remaining eye was closed and he looked exhausted and sated, but also a little sick. That was a familiar look.

"How was that shinigami?" He asked and the eyelid fluttered for a moment before opening. Shunsui managed a small smile, looking almost battered by the pleasure he'd endured.

"It could have been worse." He said with a weak chuckle and Grimmjow laughed, a sharp bark of sound. He knew exactly what the shinigami meant. He'd had plenty of encounters like that with Aizen and Gin.

"Yeah, you can ask Starrk about that. I bet he can tell you." Grimmjow couldn't be sure but with both Aizen and Gin to entertain, he was sure the Primera was getting it worse than his pet. He hadn't lost an eye so they'd damned well go hard on him. Shunsui sighed deeply, letting his head fall back onto the cold stone floor.

"Ichigo is right. You're an insensitive beast." He said and Grimmjow blinked. When had Ichigo said that about him? Although it was true. He wasn't going to deny it. Insensitive had always been a pretty good description for him, although he'd tried harder when he was alive.

"Can't help my personality, shinigami. Hmmm…" Grimmjow quickly undid the ropes before looking around. As usual, there was a bucket of water and plenty of rags available for cleanup. "Here." He tossed a damp rag to Shunsui, who took it with a nod. "Clean yourself up and I'll take you home. Starrk's gonna be here longer." He was sure of that. Kyoraku closed his eye for a moment before nodding and starting to clean off the cum and sweat. Grimmjow wasn't surprised at his ready acceptance of the situation. Shunsui had been around the block a few times. He knew the score and there wasn't a damned thing they could do for Starrk.

The Coyote would just have to crawl home on his own.


	42. The Start of a Plan

"…" Juushiro sat beside Starrk's bed in the Fourth, his eyes misting with tears as he watched the gentle rise and fall of the Primera's chest.

He'd come home from an ordinary day with his Division to find that Shunsui had lost an eye and Starrk was still being punished. His love had a new, rather piratical eye patch now and was already making jokes about it enhancing his good looks. His healing was progressing well, although he was still taking pills to control the pain.

Starrks' healing was taking longer. Juushiro reached up to wipe his eyes as he thought about Unohana's report. She hadn't wanted to give them the details but they had both insisted. So they knew that Starrk had been raped to the point that his insides were largely shredded. Hierro offered protection even inside, so Aizen had likely overridden it with his own power. It had been almost two days and the Coyote was still unconscious. His face was pale and mottled with fading bruises. Juushiro reached out to gently take his hand. The skin felt cold and waxy.

"It's grotesque, what he does to his own warriors." Juushiro looked up, surprised. He hadn't noticed Shunsui entering the room. His lover gave him a crooked smile before putting a hand on his shoulder. "I had to come see Unohana for my checkup so I thought I would come visit him."

"Of course." Juushiro said with a smile. He knew Shunsui would have come to check on Starrk, regardless. The arrancar should be waking up anytime now. In fact, he really should have woken yesterday. Unohana thought that his unconsciousness was a defensive reaction, his mind trying to avoid a reality Starrk found unacceptable. Juushiro looked back at Starrk's face. He looked so blank and empty, almost lifeless. Like a broken doll. That brought his mind to Lilinette. She was still awake and functioning, but in a deep depression without her other half. "It is horrible." Juushiro said softly, reaching out to touch a bit of chestnut hair. It felt soft and warm under his fingers. "How can he treat them like this?"

"They are hollows. They expect nothing else." Shunsui said, his tone bitter. Juushiro nodded sadly. He knew they were thinking the same thing… Starrk was the most powerful of the Espada. He'd defeated Kyoraku, broken his shikai with the force of his reiatsu to help bring Aizen the victory. And this was his reward. It was horrifying to contemplate.

A soft cough caught both their attention and Juushiro smiled in happiness and relief as he saw that Starrk's eyes were open just a crack. The Espada tried to swallow before grimacing. Juushiro knew why… his throat had been badly damaged as well, from Aizen's and Gin's attentions. The vocal cords had been badly torn and it had taken Szayel's surgical skills to ensure Starrk would be able to speak. Juushiro had never known it was possible to do that to someone and would have preferred to remain ignorant.

"Don't try to talk. Here." Juushiro said softly, quickly fetching the cup with a straw. Starrk had to be very thirsty. And he was, but every swallow clearly brought him pain. Starrk stopped drinking much too soon, too worn to go on, closing his eyes. Shunsui took the Coyote's other hand and Starrk opened his eyes again before attempting to speak.

"You… are…?" Starrk's voice was a brutally broken parody of his usual, warm tones. He was looking at Shunsui, concern shining in his soft grey eyes. It almost broke Juushiro's heart to see. Even at a moment like this, Starrk was worried about them. Shunsui gave him a reassuring smile, reaching up to touch the eye patch.

"It's feeling better already." He half-lied. He was still in pain and would be for some time, but the kido healing was progressing nicely. "It makes fighting a bit more challenging but I'm getting used to it. And Grimmjow wasn't too bad. If he ever wants to retire from the Espada I imagine he could make a good living with his other skills." Juushiro choked a little at that and normally, he would have slapped Shunsui upside the head. Right now his injury prevented it so he just gave his love a small smack on his shoulder. "I do think he went rather easy on me. But then, I'd just lost an eye, even Grimmjow has some compassion." Which was more than could be said for Aizen. Starrk nodded, looking relieved. "You, however, are going to be here for a while longer."

"How… bad…?" Starrk asked and Juushiro sighed before gently squeezing his hand. The Coyote looked at him, his expression demanding answers.

"It wasn't good." Juushiro said softly. Shunsui rested a hand on Starrk's shoulder, giving him comfort. "Your insides were badly damaged and Szayel had to do surgery to reconstruct your throat." He finally said, giving Starrk the truth. The Coyote closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. Then he managed a smile, although it was tiny and pained.

"I… regret… being whole… sometimes…" He rasped out and Juushiro nodded. He knew exactly what Starrk meant. The pain of being raped was merely physical to most hollows. A cause for anger and revenge, but not the violation a human or shinigami would feel. But Starrk had his human memories now and he was more vulnerable to the pain. His hollow nature could cushion the impact slightly but not entirely.

"You shouldn't be talking. Rest, Starrk. Do you want us to bring Lilinette to you? She's been most upset." Shunsui asked and Starrk closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. "I can go get her while you stay." He offered and Juushiro nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Please." He didn't want to leave Starrk's side. Shunsui left, going to find Lilinette as Juushiro held his hand.

The only comfort he had was that one way or the other, this would be over soon.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Starrk said tiredly to the talking cat. He'd spent another day in the care of the Fourth and now he was home, taking it easy. The schedule on the towers had been slightly adjusted to compensate for his injuries. He wouldn't be going back to the Living World for another two weeks. Yoruichi flattened her ears.

"I know. I'm going to talk to Soi Fon about this when I get back." She half-snarled and Starrk was sure it wouldn't be a nice discussion. But…

"Ulquiorra is the most intelligent of the Espada and arguably the most subtle. Only Barragan might compare. Together, he and Barragan are running the Onmitsukido and the Second Division as well as you or Soi Fon ever did. I happen to know they even have the personal loyalty of most of their shinigami minions." Starrk said tiredly. The Onmitsukido was a very practical organization and realizing the situation was hopeless, had largely chosen to switch their allegiance. Barragan had rooted out what little resistance existed within that organization. It helped that Ulquiorra had effectively merged the arrancar enforcement arm with the shinigami version, forcing his arrancar to issue Claims as he chose. And it was well known that arrancar from other units were not allowed to touch any shingami from the Second. The punishments for disobeying were severe. "It's not surprising there would eventually be a failure. I'm glad it wasn't worse." His involvement being found out would have been worse. Right now the worst they suspected him of was too much compassion. "If you want, you can have her apologize to Shunsui. He caught the worst of it." As bad as the pain and pleasure he'd experienced had been, he was intact and would recover. Shunsui's eye wasn't coming back, unless he somehow prevailed on Aizen to let Orihime restore it. Yoruichi sighed before nodding.

"I hate to ask but I need to go back to the Living World soon." She said quietly and Starrk rested a hand against his forehead. He still hurt in unmentionable ways. Maybe…

"I'll see if Grimmjow can do it. He can easily say he wants some of those appalling glasses for Tigre." He said after a moment and Yoruichi snorted. "Along with my extra hell butterfly that should be enough. I really don't want to go myself." Right now no one would believe he was running errands in the Living World. Yoruichi nodded.

"If you could that would be wonderful. I hate that stupid dog!" She growled and Starrk managed a smile. The puppy was still the bane of her existence.

"I wish I could have a dog. I wonder if I could get Szayel to engineer me one?" Normal dogs couldn't tolerate his reiatsu, of course. But maybe Szayel could alter one to be more durable. Yoruichi laid her ears back at the thought.

"Not until this is over." She said firmly and Starrk laughed tiredly, letting his head fall back onto the cushions. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Starrk found the presence of the cat comforting and it was a good place for her to sleep. She jumped onto his chest and he let himself drift off, comforted by her purring. Vaguely, before he fell asleep, Starrk realized it was all rather familiar. Hadn't they done this before?

Then he dropped off to dreamland and thought no more about it.

* * *

Approximately a week later.

Chad fought with grim determination, smashing down a monster of red and intercepting a darting proboscis with his arm. Fortunately, his shield arm was more than strong enough to stand up to the slingers. Unfortunately, there were a lot of them.

But he was not alone. All three of the vasto lorde were with him and they were forming a circle, standing on this sand dune as they weathered the attack. Sado could hear Natwa's screeching and Cynnbel singing some kind of battle hymn. Nngato fought in grim silence, his fins and focused water attacks slicing through the enemies like a hot knife through butter.

Eventually, the red things stopped coming. That was a relief but not a great one. Lately the waves of them were getting more intense and even stronger creatures were beginning to emerge. Chad had seen what they called a dancer… they were still made of red gel but surprisingly humanoid and they twirled as if they were dancing as they fought. They were very dangerous and Nngato had handled that one personally.

"There is no more point to this." Nngato's voice rumbled over the sands and Chad turned to look at him over the disintegrating corpses. The vasto lorde's face was tight with anger. "We are going to the pit of souls. It is time to meet the others and begin the final battle."

"Shit." Cynnbel sounded exhausted. They hadn't been eating well lately. The adjuchas were almost non-existent. "A valiant last stand? I had one of those when I was alive. It didn't go very well. There were blood and guts all over the place and they were mine, that was the problem…" Nngato gave his minion a level look.

"I could eat you now. Then you won't have to worry." He suggested and Cynnbel laid his ears back before suddenly speaking with insane cheerfulness.

"A valiant last stand! Huzzah, I can't wait! A few more days of breath in my body, I'll take it!" He said and Nngato chuckled harshly as Natwa knelt on the ground, her body language speaking of her fatigue. "Err… we're not exactly up to snuff though. We need some food, great one. Hopefully not me." He added quickly and Nngato considered it for a moment before grunting.

"I will create a garganta to Soul Society. We will feed there on whatever is available, then I will make a garganta directly to the pit. It will save us time and it will be safe enough for me." He said and Sado hesitated. That meant he might be able to leave them and stay in Soul Society. As soon as the thought came, though, he dismissed it. He'd given Nngato his word. And leaving that aside, he knew what the vasto lorde was doing was important.

One way or the other, he would see it to the end.

* * *

Nngato was not the only one to think of going to Soul Society for hunting. Some, though, were sending their minions… or in this case, their children.

"I don't think this is a good idea." The female of the pair hissed. The male of the pair ignored her. "Stop ignoring me!"

"Stop being a whiny bitch." He growled back as she swelled with anger. They were siblings but not twins and had very little liking for each other. In fact, they had hardly met until their father had commanded them both to attend to him. Their mother was dead, a casualty of the endless wars for territory or she would have been there too.

Right now they were stalking a shinigami. He was more than powerful enough to feed the two of them and leave enough to replenish their sire's energies. To the female, that meant he was unacceptably dangerous and they should go find something easier. The male was of a different mind about it. He thought that working together, they could take this shinigami. And unfortunately for the female, she didn't quite dare leave her brother to his fate. She was reasonably sure their father would be angry.

So against her better judgment she joined her brother in the attack. At first, it seemed to be going well. The male shinigami fought with two swords and he was very good, but there were two of them to his one. And they were the children of a very high vasto lorde, powerful in their own right. Perhaps…

The female cursed viciously as the shinigami released his power, the swords turning black and curved. She sensed the power of the shikai and recognized it as some kind of reality warping effect, but she was no Starrk. Her father might have been able to break the shinigami's shikai, but probably not. The Coyote's power was unique. She adopted a defensive posture, letting her brother take the risks. He'd gotten them into this, after all.

That strategy backfired when a second shinigami entered the fray, taking her completely by surprise. His sword dug into her back and she whirled away, countering with a frantic cero. But he absorbed the power and threw it right back at her. She was young and fast but he was far too close. The cero impacted her and sent her back, knocking her deep into a nearby building. Fortunately it was vacant, although that didn't make much difference for the young vasto lorde.

That left her brother in an unenviable position and he handled it by abandoning his sister without a second thought. Vanishing in a burst of sonido, the two shinigami had the choice of following him or taking in the vasto lorde they'd already caught. Given that Shunsui and Juushiro had no particular desire to help Aizen, they decided to stick with the fish in their net.

"Well, well! Isn't she an interesting one?" Shunsui said cheerfully as Juushiro bound the fallen hollow with kido. She was barely conscious but regaining her senses rapidly. Appearance wise, she was quite interesting. Her base form appeared to be a cow. Little horns peeked above very animal like, floppy ears. Her face was largely hidden by a bone skull mask but the eyes were dark brown and blinking rapidly. She was wearing what had once been a rather pretty yukata. It was blue with purple flowers, soiled and worn by her life in Hueco Mundo. Her chest was easily as large as Mastumoto's, but the way she wore the yukata was intended to minimize the effect. When she came to and realized what was happening she squirmed, trying to break the chains.

"Let me go!" She demanded, her tail lashing. A hole had been cut in the yukata to accommodate it and it was very bovine, long and leading to a bristly tip. "That bastard! If I get out of this, I'm going to tell papi!" She hissed as she struggled. But her power was already weakened from the troubles in Hueco Mundo, even without the fight on top of it. She couldn't free herself.

"Please remain calm. We have to take you to Aizen-sama for mask breaking." Juushiro said as gently as he could. The hollow went still for a moment before laughing. It was a harsh, angry sound.

"Oh? And so much joy he'll have of me, in the time he has left! He's a dead man and so are you!" She taunted him as Juushiro blinked and Shunsui frowned. "Hueco Mundo is collapsing! The great ones are gathering for the final battle, their great stand on the pit of despair! And when they die, you will too! She's coming and you're all doomed!" The vasto lorde laughed, a high, cruel, slightly insane sound. If Shunsui and Juushiro had known nothing about the problems, they might have dismissed it as the ravings of a lunatic. Fortunately, they knew better.

"Is this about the Red Queen?" Juushiro asked as Shunsui looked around them, searching for anyone who might be listening. That silenced the vasto lorde for a moment as she looked at the white haired shinigami in surprise.

"You know what I'm talking about?" She asked and he nodded. "…Hm… yes. When I left the portal was already starting to open at the pit. Papi was the first one there, he says we have about a month before it gets big enough for that thing to come through. The little things are already passing through though. The great ones must be fed… please, let me go. I have to bring a meal to my papi." She sounded much calmer now and far more rational. Juushiro and Shunsui exchanged a glance before they began questioning her further.

"What has been happening in Hueco Mundo?" Shunsui asked and the vasto lorde was more than willing to talk. She gave them a reasonably clear account of how the great old ones were attempting to shore up reality while the forces of the Red Queen did everything in their power to oppose them. She spoke of her sire in a reverent tone but seemed to regard her brother with contempt. Given how he'd abandoned her, they weren't terribly surprised.

"Should we let her go?" Juushiro asked in an undertone and Shunsui considered the hollow for a moment before shrugging.

"I think we should. It sounds like she does have an important mission." All they would have to worry about was Aizen and he likely wasn't paying too much attention to their task. Did he realize how quickly everything was falling apart? "Very well, you can go. But try to feast on only the arrancar, eh? There should be some around." He encouraged her and she nodded. "By the way, what is your name?" They hadn't gotten it and he was curious now.

"Zanzi Nofrafriti." She answered before tilting her head curiously. "And you?" She asked.

"I am Kyoraku Shunsui and this is Ukitake Juushiro." He introduced them and she nodded as the chains vanished, standing and rubbing her arms for a moment.

"I owe you one." She said briefly before vanishing in a burst of sonido. As soon as she was safely away, they both launched into shunpo.

Starrk and Yoruichi needed to know that time was about to run out.

* * *

"Bean bags chairs? This is all getting a bit threadbare." Starrk sighed as Lilinette shrugged. "We need to start thinking up better excuses."

"…Cleaning off our graves maybe?" Lilinette suggested and Starrk winced.

"It would seem a bit wrong, cleaning off my own grave. Isn't someone else supposed to do that for me?" He complained mildly as his other half laughed. "And the nuns did keep the graveyard tended." They let the ivy grow over it but that was a deliberate choice, creating beauty out of nothing.

"Geez Starrk, way to overthink it! We're just talking about excuses here, not real reasons – oh, you." The hostility suddenly rose as Hiyori appeared, glaring at him. Starrk tensed but she just grunted.

"Go to the meeting room. I'll let everyone know you're here." She said shortly although most of them had undoubtedly detected his reiatsu by now. Starrk nodded, willing to bypass any trash talk if she was. They had much bigger fish to fry at the moment.

"You're back early!" Isshin greeted them but he sounded worried. "Where is Yoruichi?" He asked and Starrk shook his head.

"She decided to stay in Soul Society for now. She's hoping to get more information on what Aizen's up to." Starrk didn't know how she intended to do that and didn't really want to know. "I've come back early. Where is Kisuke?" Shinji, Kensei, Hiyori and Isshin were present but no one else. "Hachi too… we have very bad news." The master scientist and the kido master would likely both be required. Isshin looked at him with a frown before nodding.

"We'll get them." He said and he and Shinji went off to fetch the others. Starrk found a bean bag chair to settle into as Lilinette cuddled in his lap. He put his arms around her, holding her close. They could both use a bit of comfort right now.

"Whatever is wrong? You look like someone killed your dog." Kisuke said cheerfully as he entered the room. Hachi and the other Visored entered, no doubt sensing that something momentous was afoot. An unwilling smile crossed his face as Starrk sat up, still holding his other half.

"Well, my non-existent dog would no doubt perish, but I'm not too worried about him. I'm more worried about the rest of creation." He said lightly before completely losing his smile. "Shunsui and Juushiro met a vasto lorde in the Rukongai just yesterday. She claims that Hueco Mundo is coming apart and we have approximately one month before the entire thing collapses." Kisuke pushed his hat back, his eyes wide. "That's Hueco Mundo time, too. So more like a week our time." There was a time difference, but it varied. It was hard to give it an exact time and the month was an approximation anyway. "So I hope you have a plan. Time is running out." They couldn't wait any longer. When Hueco Mundo went down the balance of souls would fall completely out of sync. Starrk was sure that the three worlds wouldn't last long beyond that.

"Er… I…" Kisuke looked overwhelmed for a moment before swallowing. All the Visored were looking rather shocked, in fact. But despite all they knew they weren't prepared to find out that time was so short. "The only plan we've been able to devise is a riff on the one we tried before."

"You mean the one that failed? Way to go funny hat man, way to go." Lilinette said and Starrk winced a little, letting her go. He agreed with the sentiment though. That was not encouraging. Neither was the expression on Kisuke's face. He sighed before explaining.

"There's no way to destroy the Hogyoku. The only option we have is to seal Aizen away. But to do that we have to hit him with a very high level sealing spell then weaken him enough for it to take effect. The first time, we had counted on Kurosaki-kun to weaken him. But Grimmjow…" Kisuke stopped for a moment and Starrk nodded. Grimmjow's Claim on the teen had disrupted all their plans. Or perhaps, Ulquiorra's killing him. Vaguely, he wondered how they had expected Ichigo to utilize that much of his spiritual pressure. He might be able to do it now, though, with his kido training. Was that their plan? "Unfortunately, now we need Ichigo to take the Soul King's throne. Karin and Yuzu are still too young." Kisuke said with a grimace and Starrk frowned. "If we can't take the throne away from Aizen we definitely can't seal him. So now we don't know how to weaken him enough for the seal to take effect."

"…" A thought immediately occurred to Starrk. He glanced down at Lilinette, who was shaking her head. He smiled at her, gently patting her on the head before she scowled and punched him.

"Don't even think about it! No! I'm not gonna!" She threatened and he laughed. "Don't laugh at me Starrk! I'm half of you, I get a say in this too and I'm not going to let you make me!" That made his smile fade and the Coyote sighed, facing the inevitable.

"But you will. If the choice is between that and letting our mates die, our children die, you'll do it. I know you will." He said comfortingly as Lilinette's eye began to tear up. Shinji cleared his throat.

"Care to let us in on what you're talkin' about?" He asked with a smile and Starrk looked up to see that everyone was looking at them. The reactions varied from curiosity to hostility.

"What we're talking about is the one power available that might be able to weaken Aizen sufficiently." Starrk said quietly, remembering. It was so hard to remember that time but one thing clearly came through… the loneliness. "Once, Lilinette and I were a single hollow. That was well before we met Aizen… we split in an effort to become weaker, because we were so alone. It didn't work. Aizen's bribe when he recruited us was that he would make us weaker still, until lesser powers could survive around us. But before we split, we were so strong that other hollows couldn't even perceive us before they died." Starrk paused, feeling the weight of their regard and a dawning hope. "We can take back that form, go back to being that hollow. I honestly don't know if it will be enough. But I think it's the best hope we have."

"What if we can't come back Starrk? What if we can't be two people anymore? And even if we can, what if Aizen's dampening on us breaks? I can't go back to being alone! I can't! Starrk…" Lilinette grabbed his jacket, sobbing into the white fabric. Starrk took her in his arms and tried to soothe her, crooning into her ear. He understood her fear perfectly.

"If that happens, we'll have Shunsui and Juushiro. They'll be able to survive us long enough to give us konso." He said comfortingly. It was strange, to look on death as a comfort, but compared to living completely alone again after tasting so much love… Starrk would accept death before that.

"I don't wanna die either. This sucks Starrk!" Lilinette said and he nodded sadly.

"I know. But remember what we always said? The world is cruel and there is no god." He whispered their private mantra and Lilinette broke down and cried. "There is no happy ending and fairytales are a lie. But we need to do this, Lilinette. As sad and painful as the world is, I want it to exist." The alternative was just not acceptable. Taking a deep breath, he looked up from his other half. "But that only takes care of half the problem. How will you take the Throne away from Aizen?" From what Urahara had said, without that their plan would automatically fail.

"I have an oken." Isshin volunteered and Starrk blinked. "They're given to members of the royal guard and the royal family. I can get Ichigo into the King's realm. Then we'll have to reach the throne but I don't expect it to be heavily guarded. Aizen thinks he massacred the entire royal family." There was bitterness there, not to Starrk's surprise. Isshin might not have been too close to them but he'd still lost his entire birth family. "Ichigo can take the Soul King's throne away from him. Although… I'm not sure how I'll get to Ichigo, or how he'll get to me." Isshin mused and Starrk looked down as Lilinette suddenly giggled. She was grinning?

"I got an idea…"

* * *

"This is a really dumb idea Starrk."

"What the… this was your idea!" He hissed back as he carried the large wooden box. It was covered in air holes. Rather peculiar given that it was supposed to be holding a bean bag chair.

"Oh yeah. I'm kind of dumb right?" Lilinette said and Starrk sighed as they approached the senkaimon. Honestly, he wasn't sure about this plan either. Kisuke had been very enthusiastic though and swore that with their extra hell butterfly and his technology they would be able to pull it off. "Why do you listen to me anyway? I'm just a kid."

"Because it was still the best idea we had. Moment of truth." Starrk stepped through the senkaimon with all the confidence he could muster. If they were caught now it was all over.

Fortunately no alarms went off. Breathing a tiny bit easier, Starrk waited for Lilinette to take her place on his shoulder before launching into a sonido. He wanted to get his cargo under wraps before anything unfortunate could happen. Heading for home they quickly got the box into the windowless room before opening it.

"Argh!" Kurosaki Isshin unfolded, looking extremely pained. The hell butterfly on his shoulder flitted off, coming to Starrk's hand. "That was among the most unpleasant things I've done in my life." He said and Lilinette sneered at him as Starrk smiled slightly.

"Oh yeah? You haven't been here long. Let Aizen catch you and it won't even make the top ten." She jibed and Starrk winced, his grey eyes going dark as he remembered his recent punishment. "Oh, sorry Starrk." She said apologetically, sensing his pain. He managed to smile at her and gently pat her head.

"It's fine. You'll have to wait here for now, until we can get Grimmjow and Ichigo. Do you need anything to eat?" He asked and Isshin immediately perked up, smiling.

"I would! It's been so long since I've had decently cooked food." He said cheerfully and Starrk nodded. He wasn't the least bit surprised. Lilinette laughed.

"We'll get you something! I made cookies last night with Mia, they're great!" Lilinette said happily and Starrk smiled. He knew all about that, the girls had had an absolutely wonderful time and even gotten the babies involved. Toshiro hadn't been too interested but Guadalupe had been happily smashing cookie dough balls, then licking off her hands. As Lilinette went to get him some food, Starrk went to fetch some pillows and other things.

They had to coordinate everything perfectly so even after he met Ichigo and Grimmjow, Isshin would be staying for several days. They needed to make things comfortable for him.


	43. Sex Before the Storm

Byakuya sat in the garden, watching the sun rise, and tried to calm his inner turmoil.

It was difficult. The rumors going around about Juushiro, Shunsui and Starrk… he hadn't wanted to believe them. But now it was confirmed. They were lovers and Juushiro and Shunsui had been together for quite some time. It was strange, how Yammy had seen the truth so quickly when the rest of them had been oblivious for years. But then, he had fewer brain cells to get in the way of his eyes.

Byakuya didn't object to such relationships in general. He'd always known that several of his unit had such arrangements, even before the arrancar came. What he was feeling was jealousy. He didn't want Starrk, didn't want any man, but he couldn't help but envy his fellow taichou their happiness. Closing his eyes, he tried to quiet the emotion. It was unworthy of him. He should be happy that his friends were not suffering how he was suffering…

"Hello." Byakuya looked up in absolute surprise. He hadn't felt the horrible reiatsu that usually accompanied the Primera's presence. The reason why was obvious… he was wearing the retaining collar again, although this time on a setting that would mimic a numero. Although what he felt right now was more shinigami than anything. Was the collar also obfuscating the type of reiatsu? "I can't stay long. Using this thing like this is unwise for me." Starrk said calmly as he reached up to touch his collar. "And sneaking past your guards wasn't that easy." Byakuya blinked as he realized this was definitely a surreptitious visit. But why? What need would Starrk have for this? "I have a message… when Yammy's Claim breaks, go to Juushiro. He will tell you what to do." Then Starrk vanished in a burst of sonido and Byakuya stared at the spot he'd been in shock. _When_ the Claim broke? A smile crossed his lips at the thought.

Yammy was a dead man.

* * *

"Message delivered. But I don't know why you couldn't do it yourself." Starrk wasn't really happy about this. He wasn't a member of the Onmitsukido and while Yoruichi said he had talent, it was undeveloped at best. Sneaking about had been impossible until he'd gotten Szayel's collar.

"Because there's a chance, however remote, that Yammy has ordered him to apprehend any of the escapees." Yoruichi said and Starrk blinked. That honestly hadn't occurred to him and he'd never given Shunsui and Juushiro such orders. Although… would he have, even if he'd thought of it? No, even when they were newly Claimed he'd valued their feelings too highly. Ordering them to capture their old friends and comrades would have been too cruel.

"Very unlikely. Yammy wouldn't think of something like that. Barragan and Ulquiorra would." Although Ulquiorra wouldn't risk Orihime on such a task. Barragan… likely would risk his pets, but they were strong enough to put up a decent fight. "You took a chance contacting Ichigo." Now that it had been pointed out, Starrk was fairly sure it would have occurred to Grimmjow. But his loyalty to Aizen had always been dubious and Ichigo did matter to him. Yoruichi shifted on his shoulders. He was hiding her beneath an enveloping cloak.

"I had no choice. He's critical for our plans. Fortunately, we were lucky with him." She said and Starrk

"Yes. Well, we should get back." It was almost time for Grimmjow and Ichigo to arrive. They thought they were just bringing Tabby and Tigre over for some playtime with Lilinette and the twins. They had no idea there was anything more behind it. Starrk was cautiously looking forward to the surprise.

Caution was called for because Isshin would certainly be tempted to gut his hollow son-in-law. It would be a disaster for their plans and not what Ichigo would want, but it would certainly be tempting. Especially if Grimmjow acted like his usual self. And he probably would, he had no self-restraint.

So Starrk positioned himself against the wall in Isshin's room as the man himself sat at the desk and tried to read a book. It wouldn't be long, now.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"Here you go!" Ichigo set Tabitha in the playpen with the other babies. All three of them were starting to walk and as he watched, Tabby got into a wrestling match with Guadalupe. The two little girls were surprisingly physical. Little Toshiro preferred to play with his blocks, building some kind of indecipherable structure. His tiny face was full of intense concentration as he worked. Ichigo smiled at the sight. It was quite likely that the girls would accidentally roll into his structure soon and make him cry.

"Before you go, there's something you should see." Ichigo looked up in surprise as Juushiro smiled at him. "It's in the inner room." That immediately caught his interest. The inner room was the best place to keep anything they wanted to keep absolutely private. A few kido and it was nearly impenetrable.

"Okay." He said, standing up. The nanny would look after the babies, not that they required a lot of looking after. Tabby wasn't a climber and wasn't constantly threatening to stage an escape like Tigre had. As they went towards the room he heard Grimmjow's voice.

"Yeah, a surprise? What, some kind of thing for the kids?" He asked as Ichigo turned the corner. Shunsui was grinning at the blue haired arrancar, surprisingly cheerful considering Grimmjow had raped him recently. On the other hand, it had been on Aizen's orders. Quite likely Shunsui just had a very good grasp of who was truly to blame.

"No, nothing like that. Ah, they're here! Let me show you." Shunsui opened the door and gestured for them to go inside. Grimmjow quirked an eyebrow at him and went first. Ichigo followed him, wondering what this could be about. What could be so –

His eyes went wide as he saw a face he'd honestly thought he would never see again.

"Dad?!" He gasped just before he was hugged. Grimmjow moved out of the way, giving them more space, but he didn't care about that. "…Dad…!" Isshin had never been the perfect father but Ichigo loved him anyway. He hugged his father back, struggling to hold back tears. Grimmjow had said he was alive, but that wasn't the same as seeing him here like this.

"Oh my Ichigo." Isshin sounded drunk with happiness. "I'm so glad to see you. How are Karin and Yuzu?" He asked urgently as they finally parted. Ichigo smiled at him reassuringly, catching the quick look his father gave Grimmjow. The Espada was leaning against the wall, watching the family reunion with interest.

"They're fine dad. Karin's in the Academy, training to be a shinigami and Yuzu's got a boyfriend." One of the low level shinigami, he would probably never have to worry about being Claimed by an arrancar. He was a very nice man, though, and Yuzu liked him quite a bit. His father frowned at that and Ichigo tried to reassure him. "He's a really good guy, he's in Renji's Division."

"Hmm, I see. I'll have to speak to him when this is over… so. You would be Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Isshin growled at the indolent arrancar. Grimmjow grinned wickedly as he pushed himself up. His body language was both dominant and aggressive and Ichigo was absolutely certain he was about to say something appalling.

"Yep. I'm the guy who's been fucking your son." He said with a grin and Starrk's hand came down on Isshin's shoulder just as he reached for his sword. Ichigo stared at Grimmjow in disbelief for a moment. He'd expected something bad but…

"Grimmjow! What the hell?! Is that how you introduced yourself to your wife's father too?" He demanded and Grimmjow blinked at him, surprised.

"…Yeah. That's exactly what I said to him." He said after a moment and Ichigo stared at him in shock, his eyes wide. Then his eyes narrowed as something occurred to him.

"…Really. And what happened after that?" From the way Grimm had described his wife, it had likely been memorable. Grimmjow had to think about it, dredging up the ancient memories.

"Oh yeah! She kicked me in the balls while he stood there and laughed at us." Grimmjow said and Ichigo smiled.

"Okay!" He chirped just before he kicked his lover in the crotch. Grimmjow's eyes briefly went wide before he bent over with a scream. Then he slowly slid down, taking a fetal position on the floor as he clutched at his pride and joy.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Grimmjow's howl would have been loud even in a larger space. Inside the closed room, it was deafening. "YOU BASTARD! SONUFABITCH!"

"Hey, you practically told me to!" Ichigo defended himself as Isshin stared at them wide eyed, his grip on his sword suddenly very loose. Grimmjow looked up with a snarl, his hands still cupping his crotch.

"You are not a chick and this is not a fucking historical reenactment! Shit! Owowowowow…" Grimmjow whined, curling up a bit more tightly. Ichigo almost felt bad… almost, but not quite. The arrancar really had been asking for that. There was a choked sound and Ichigo looked over to see his father's lips were twitching. He began to chuckle and it slowly graduated to full on belly laughs. Starrk let go of his shoulder, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.

"I can see you are getting along!" Isshin managed to say, still chuckling. Ichigo smiled at him as Grimmjow lurched to his feet, muttering something about needing an ice pack. "We can talk more about this later." The narrow eyed look he gave Grimmjow said he hadn't entirely forgiven or forgotten, but Isshin smiled as he looked at Ichigo. "Are you happy?" He asked softly and Ichigo nodded without any hesitation.

"I am, dad. It's really weird but as messed up as Grimm is, I still love him." He said softly and Isshin frowned before nodding. "And the kids are amazing. I can't wait to introduce you to them." That would be great. Starrk cleared his throat and Ichigo looked at him, surprised. The Espada gave him a sympathetic smile before speaking.

"You'll have time for that later. But right now, you need to know what is happening." He said and Ichigo and Grimmjow both listened as Starrk outlined the time limit they were under at the current plan on how to deal with it. Ichigo swallowed heavily at the news of how much time was actually left. He'd known it was coming – things in Soul Society just kept getting worse and worse – but it was still a massive shock. "We'll be making our move in six days. Myself and Shunsui will be at the towers then and we have a plan for how to lure Aizen into Karakura town. Isshin will take you to the Throne and you must take it away from Aizen."

"So synchronize your watches! We have to work this together!" Lilinette chirped and Isshin laughed, pulling out a strange looking little device.

"That won't be a problem. Kisuke came up with this. It's a very powerful but limited signaler, as soon as they begin their move he'll signal me to start ours." He said cheerfully and Grimmjow looked at it curiously. "It's just a beep so even if it's intercepted, no one will know what it's for."

"Oh yeah? Excellent." Grimmjow commented, almost completely recovered from his earlier pain. "…We're really going to do this." He sounded wondering and Ichigo could sympathize. It felt like they were turning their entire world upside down. Starrk nodded somberly and Ichigo met grey eyes for a moment, seeing calm thoughtfulness and a measured fear. He knew the power he would be facing and Ichigo suddenly felt sorry for him. He knew what it felt like to be under such immense pressure.

"Yes. Can I see the children now?" Isshin said eagerly and Ichigo laughed before going to find Tabby. They would have to emphasis to Tigre that he couldn't tell his friends about Isshin, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem. His son could keep a secret when there was a lolly in it for him. It didn't take long for them to find Tigre and bring him in and when they did, things got interesting. "My grandson!" Isshin impulsively hugged the startled boy, making Ichigo smile and Grimmjow laugh. Tigre was not so keen.

"Ow! Papi, make him stop, his squishing me! I don't have hierro like Grimm-papi! Hey, let go or I'm gonna bit you!" Tigre protested but Isshin ignored him. "Grr…" Ichigo couldn't move fast enough to stop it although, if he was being honest, he would have had to admit he wasn't trying too hard. Goat face deserved to get a consequence to his actions.

"OW!" Isshin jerked away as Tigre gave him a painful bite. It wasn't bleeding, but that was only because Tigre hadn't wanted to really hurt him. He'd inherited Grimmjow's fangs. "My darling grandson, why would you do that to me?!" He began to sob theatrically as Tigre scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because I like breathing! You're weird." He muttered as Isshin turned his attention to the other child in the room. Tabitha was glued to Ichigo's leg, her arms around him as she watched the proceedings with wide-eyed alarm.

"My little granddaughter! How cute you are!" Isshin's gushing alarmed her further and Tabby bared her teeth in a little baby snarl. It was very cute but also a warning and Ichigo decided to take pity on his father before he was bitten a second time. He gently picked up little Tabitha, holding her upright in his arms.

"Here dad, let me show you…" With his help, Tabitha let Isshin hold her. To Ichigo's surprise, the toddler seemed to sniff him before deciding he was acceptable and snuggling against him. Isshin looked absolutely enchanted, smiling down at the baby on his chest.

"Beautiful. Is she talking yet?" He asked and Ichigo nodded.

"She's getting a few words now." Mostly no. That was a huge favorite. Tabby would say no to anything, even sweets. She also knew papi and chocolate… although for her that was coco. The one sweet both his children absolutely loved was chocolate. "And she's starting to run around." He added and Tigre spoke up.

"I'm going to teach her how to hunt when she's a bit bigger! Papi said I could." He said and Isshin gave him a smile. The young boy was happier now that his grandfather's arms were taken up by little Tabitha and he was no longer vulnerable to grandpa hugs. Ichigo could understand that perfectly. His dad's affection had always been on the physical side. As Isshin cuddled Tabby and spoke to Tigre, Ichigo felt a warm breath against his ear.

"Hey. You better be planning to make up that kick to me later." He met smoldering blue eyes and smiled, pulling the arrancar into an intimate kiss.

"You can count on it." He murmured, thinking about the situation. He planned to have as much sex with Grimm as he could, before they finally had to depart for the Soul King's realm. If the plan failed, he wanted them to have this time together.

Sometimes, the moment was all you had.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Hueco Mundo.

"The pit of souls. Weep ye mortals and despair!" Cynnbel said with a slightly hysterical laugh. Nngato just ignored him, his attention fixed on the baleful light in the centre. It was fairly large and there was a deeply disturbing sense that something behind it was trying very hard to get through.

"You finally got here." Chad turned to look as another vasto lorde appeared. He was clearly another like Nngato, a great and powerful creature. His forward curving horns and bone mask reminded Sado of a bull. The resemblance was continued with the hooves and the bovine tail. He was heavily built, a great tank of a hollow. "The demon arrived a week ago and the dragon just a bit after. You're the last." His voice was higher than Nngato's but held a strange, grating note, as if he'd been chewing on gravel.

"Pardon me for my tardiness." Nngato rumbled and the other vasto lorde laughed. "These are my minions, Cynnbel, Natwa and Chad." He introduced them and the vasto lorde immediately arrowed in on the odd one out.

"Chad?" The bull regarded him curiously and Sado met his gaze fearlessly. His eyes were a dark brown. "A human? But with decent hollow powers… how did you get here?" He asked curiously and Nngato grunted.

"Let him explain with the others. The demon won't care but the dragon will." He said and the minotaur nodded. "This is Terra Flamma. Come." Chad followed, wondering what the demon and the dragon would be like.

They were reasonably awe inspiring. The dragon was a well-built man. Next to Terra and Nngato, he looked slender but Chad could see that was an illusion. Like the minotaur, his facial mask was full bone. The spiral horns above it did remind him of a fantasy representation of a dragon. The resemblance continued with his mane of hair, which was gold in the centre and brown on the other edges. Great bat wings were folded behind him, white as his armor. He wore nothing but a black loincloth, hiding his privates and Sado shivered inside as he met those black and gold eyes. They were surprisingly calm and thoughtful. Nngato introduced him as Vandular Sturmdraggan.

The demon was anything but calm and thoughtful. His base form had clearly been a goat and that was what made him seem so diabolical. But he'd taken the resemblance and ran with it, festooning himself with carved bones and bits of past kills. He was a partial arrancar, his mask broken on one side and a sword in his hand. Brilliant green eyes looked at him hungrily. Chad had no doubt that the demon was considering his potential as a meal. His name was Daemon Venenoso. Sado noticed that the names reflected the powers they held. He was sure Terra had powers related to fire and earth, while Vandular was a creature of storms. And the demon's power related to poisons…

The introductions were followed by his story and the demon quickly lost interest while the dragon simply nodded his acceptance. There were others, though. The minotaur was attended by his two children, a male and a female who seemed to hate each other. Vandular had two girls, both with a horse like appearance. One of them had no bone on her face and Chad was treated to a rather beautiful smile as she edged up to him. It was a slow, non-threatening move from a hollow.

"Hello! I'm Dulce. So you're a human? I'm natural born, I've never seen a human before." She said cheerfully and Chad nodded.

"Yes, I am human." He replied stoically and she giggled, looking at him through her eyelashes in a way that seemed almost flirtatious. Not that he had a great deal of experience with that. Chad had been trapped in Hueco Mundo when he was only sixteen.

"I'm Amargo." The other female said, her voice warmer and lower than her sister's. Sado assumed they were sisters, at least. There was a great deal of resemblance. "I'm her twin." Suspicion confirmed. "Would you be interested in mating with us?"

"Girls!" Vandular snapped as Chad's mind came unglued. Had she just…? Both the hollows turned to look at their sire, annoyed. "He's human! You don't approach them like that."

"Well we don't have much time here papi! And he's in Hueco Mundo." Dulce responded as Amargo stomped a hoofed foot on the ground, making a short, staccato sound.

"We're grown. You can't tell us what to do." She said simply and Van lay his ears back, his body language very unhappy. Cynnbel was sneaking up behind Dulce, Chad noticed, even as his mind was mostly stunned.

"Oh lovies, I'm here for you. I'm not a complicated human – oof!" He doubled over as she shoved an elbow in his stomach. Her scowl was magnificent.

"We've had you already! We want something new. Now, are you interested? We're probably going to be dead soon anyway." She said to Sado and he hesitated as his mind began to reboot. He was still a virgin. This was the strangest thing in the world but… did he want to die without this experience? He looked at the female hollow, her open and engaging smile. She seemed quite friendly. Her sister was harder to read, just because her mask hid her face. But…

"I have never…" He looked down, feeling his cheeks heat. At least that would be hard to see with his skin tone. A hand gently touched his cheek and he looked into black and gold eyes.

"That's so sexy." She coo'd and his blush deepened. "Come with us and we'll show you." Her voice was full of promises and Sado nodded hesitantly. He followed them as they led him away from the pit and wondered if this was a good idea… but he wasn't going to back out.

He was far too curious.

* * *

"So this is what you do for weeks on end?" Shunsui questioned the Espada behind him and Starrk nodded, gazing out over the empty lands around them. "How are you still sane?" He asked and the Coyote snorted.

"Hueco Mundo was full of mindless tedium. If my mind managed to survive that, it can survive anything." He said wryly and Shunsui shook his head. "…I had wondered. If you could go back in time and kill me, would you?" He suddenly asked. It was, perhaps, a very morbid question. But the thought had been nagging at him. Shunsui lifted his eyebrows before considering the question seriously.

"…Yes. But not because of you… because of all the things that have happened to my fellow taichou. The suffering they endure…" He stopped, looking away and Starrk nodded sadly. "I would regret it deeply. But yes, I would kill you." Shunsui said softly and Starrk put an arm around his waist, feeling oddly like he was comforting the other man. Then he yelped as a sudden pain erupted in his head. Shunsui yelped a moment later as the same booted foot hit him, although more gently.

"Oi! That was a dumb question Starrk! And you better be glad you can't do time travel Kimono-chan! What if you went back in time, killed Starrk and then you still lost? Then you'd be feeling really stupid!" Lilinette said and Shunsui rubbed his head before smiling in amusement. "And you might be Yammy's pet. Then you'd be feeling stupid and butthurt!"

"Lilinette!" Starrk couldn't help but laugh and Shunsui's warm voice joined his, sharing his mirth. "Ah, she's right. Rewriting the past is pointless. It could always have been worse." That was a strange kind of comfort at the moment. "Hmm… you know, I think I would prefer not to waste any more time." They didn't have much left. Their move would be made tomorrow. "Would you like to?" They had been thinking of waiting for nightfall, largely because the Visored might make contact with them at any time. But Starrk didn't really care about that. He wanted to feel his mate's body inside him. Shunsui smiled slowly before pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss.

"I would love to. But you should release before Lilinette kicks you." He advised and Starrk glanced up to see that his other half was swinging her foot threateningly. Smiling, he stood and moved away from the towers.

"Kick about, Los Lobos!" He called on her power, easily taking his resurrection. He preferred to do it a bit away from the towers, although they had some protection. His power exploded out in a familiar manner before settling into his release. Starrk turned to find that Shunsui was admiring him.

"You know, I've always wondered about this form. Can those pelts be removed?" He asked as he stood and Starrk blushed lightly, walking towards him as he dropped his guns to the ground. Lilinette was giggling happily. "Or are they part of you?"

"No, they're clothing. Although I don't know if you noticed…" Starrk took a deep breath and turned around. It blended in with the flowing hides, particularly when he wasn't happy. But when he was… Shunsui's eyes widened as he spotted the wolf tail, swishing lazily behind him.

"A tail! Kami, you have a tail!" He said, delighted and Starrk smiled shyly. "Ah, let's get those clothes off, I can't wait to see if anything else has changed."

"It has." He assured his mate and Shunsui looked delighted at the prospect. He grasped the arrancar, kissing him passionately and Starrk submitted, enjoying his dominant mate. He loved what he and Juushiro did, but he was the dominant one there. With Shunsui, he was the submissive and he loved the feeling. Hands began working on his buttons as Starrk worked on Shunsui's clothing, finding the ties to his hakama. The kimono was tossed towards tower, followed by the straw hat as Starrk was eased to the ground. Grey coyote pelts made a serviceable bed and Starrk whined, deep in his throat as a warm mouth fastened on one of his nipples.

As Shunsui gradually disrobed him, though, he found the many things hidden beneath. The hands and feet hidden behind the gloves and boots were black and clawed like an animal. They were not particularly sharp and not retractable, like a wolf. Shunsui caught Starrk's hand in his own and the Coyote's eyes went wide as the shinigami explored his claws with his tongue, before sucking his fingers into his mouth. Starrk's breathing came shorter as he watched his mate coating his digits with saliva.

"Prepare yourself." Shunsui ordered with a smile, looking at the Coyote with an intent gleam in his remaining eye. Starrk whined softly in desire at the thought and obediently turned around, lifting his tail as he began fingering himself – "Oh my kami. What is this?" Starrk looked over his shoulder, confused, as a hand hovered over the hollow of his back. Then he spotted what Shunsui had seen.

"I have a tattoo?" He hadn't gotten that done. And he was sure he didn't have it in his sealed form. His mates would have mentioned it if he did. "What is it?" It was hard for him to see.

"It's a Bird of Paradise coiled around a Snowdrop. Oh, Starrk." Shunsui's voice was soft and filled with emotion. Starrk blushed as he understood the meaning of that. The symbol of Shunsui's division was the bird of paradise and Juushiro's was a snowdrop. "Beautiful."

"Thank you." Starrk whispered, smiling as he resumed fingering himself. The claws made it a bit trickier but with his hierro, they were blunt enough to cause him no harm. He heard Shunsui's breath catch as he opened himself up further, whining softly as he slid his tail to one side in a very canine gesture. For a female wolf, that would indicate her receptiveness to mounting. Hands slid through the fur of that appendage, exploring it as Starrk continued his work.

"So soft. Are you ready?" Shunsui asked, his voice heavy with desire. Starrk nodded, pulling his hand away and resting his palms against the ground. This was the way the mating just seemed to be flowing. He wanted to feel his mate against his back, taking him like the animal he resembled.

Shunsui was more than willing to help him with that. Starrk moaned, lowering his head for a moment as his body was breeched. Shunsui bit his shoulder, increasing the intense pleasure he was feeling. Starrk whimpered as that huge length found his prostate, brushing teasingly against the sensitive organ but not hitting it squarely. Lilinette gasped as Starrk fed her his pleasure, the sensations of being filled. Although he needed more… Starrk reached beneath himself, intending to stroke himself. But a hand caught his, forcing him away.

"Not just yet, my wolf. I'll do it for you when it's time." Shunsui breathed in his ear and Starrk moaned, low in his throat as the shinigami kept teasing him. It felt good but he was being teased and he knew it. Wait… that was familiar… had he…?

"Did… you learn this… from Grimmjow…?" This was definitely the kind of thing he would do. Shunsui laughed and warm lips caressed the back of his neck, making his toes curl.

"He might have given me some ideas…" Shunsui devoted himself to his body then and Starrk quivered and cried out, tormented by the sensations and desperately craving more. As he was built up, Shunsui began giving him more, hitting him more firmly and finally wrapping a hand around his straining erection.

"Oh wow… oh wow…" Lilinette sounded like she was losing her mind. Starrk felt exactly the same way as that warm, callused hand began jerking him off, matching the strokes of the cock inside him. Starrk lifted his head, staring away blankly as the pressure inside himself began coming to a peak.

"We really shouldn't be doing this." To say Kensei was embarrassed would be a gross understatement. They'd come to make contact with the Espada and Kyoraku taichou. Even knowing the relationship between the two was consensual – Yoruichi had told them the truth, with Starrk's permission and blessing – he really hadn't expected to get graphic proof of the assertion. And it was very graphic. The sounds Starrk was making as Shunsui pounded into him…

"Hush! This is getting good." Kisuke had a video camera and was taping every moment. Kensei wondered how he'd anticipated this. Or did he just carry a camera all the time? That was… highly disturbing and Kensei made a mental note to check over his room for cameras. Not that his sex life was active but it was most definitely private.

"Oh Starrk! Shunsui!" That voice was weird though. Kensei recognized it, of course – they'd hosted the Espada in his release for days and become quite used to Lilinette's tinny voice – but he couldn't imagine why she sounded so… lustful? He almost cringed at the thought. Despite knowing that she was part of Starrk's soul she still looked like a little girl. That seemed very wrong. "Oh yeah… h-harder… wow…!"

"Hey, pervert?" That was Hiyori and she'd spotted something the two men were missing. Namely, the barrels of two guns which were pointed in their general direction. Starrk had dropped them randomly and fortunately for him and Shunsui, they were pointed away from the towers. That was fortunate because blue light was beginning to build at the ends of his weapons. "DUCK!" She screamed and tackled Kisuke. Kensei dodged to the side and not a moment too soon. Two immense, twin ceros screamed overhead. Fortunately the weapons had fallen angled slightly upwards so while Kisuke lost a tiny bit of his hat, he came out otherwise unharmed. Kensei landed on his ass, staring at the devastation behind them. Those ceros had completely obliterated several buildings and there was still some smoking wreckage in the process of collapsing.

Starrk was unaware of that. All he was concerned with was his incredibly powerful orgasm, the pleasure that found a release as he writhed beneath his mate. He felt Shunsui follow him a moment later, stiffening with a cry as his member pulsed once, twice, three times. Starrk breathed heavily, his body damp with sweat and his arms trembling from their combined weight.

"YOU BASTARD!" Starrk looked up, completely surprised at that irate scream. "YOU ALMOST KILLED US!" Then a sandal was heading for his head. He yelped and cringed but Shunsui caught it in his hand, stopping the blow from landing.

"What in the world?" He asked, sitting back as Hiyori glared at him. Then the feisty little Vizard suddenly realized that Kyoraku was completely, utterly unclothed and turned a rather odd shade of pink. Her gaze went to Starrk but that situation was, if anything, even worse. The Coyote had moved to a cross legged position and was looking completely baffled. "Do you mind letting us dress before you yell at us?" Shunsui asked and the Vizard mumbled some kind of insult before turning around and crossing her arms. Shunsui and Starrk both took the opportunity to retrieve their clothes, although Starrk just pulled on his pants. He had plans to sleep on the furs as soon as the Visored and their friends were gone.

"Now what are you talking about?" Starrk glanced around before noticing the wreckage his guns had caused. "Lilinette!" He said, utterly appalled as Kisuke and Kensei cautiously picked their way through the rubble. "Why did you do that?" He certainly hadn't pulled her triggers himself. She normally didn't act independently that way.

"I couldn't help it Starrk! I felt a pressure building inside me… it had to go somewhere! I'm sorry!" She protested and Starrk's single eye went wide as he realized what had happened. Then he grinned before looking at a slightly scorched Kisuke, a pained Kensei and a very angry Hiyori.

"I'm very sorry. It seems my gun had an orgasm." He said with a smile and Kisuke tittered madly as Kensei hid his face with one hand. "I most humbly apologize – eh?" Starrk looked over with a blink as a hand rested on his shoulder. Shunsui did not seem very amused as he looked at Kisuke. In fact, his remaining eye was narrowed in a decidedly hostile way.

"Don't apologize too quickly, Starrk. Kisuke, why are you holding a video camera?" The taichou asked and Kisuke's gaze dropped to the incriminating evidence in his hands. Starrk looked shocked for a moment, taking that in. Then his expression also became less than amused.

"Lilinette!" He suddenly called and two spirit wolves suddenly appeared. They didn't look vicious, though. They looked excited, their tongues lolling as they looked at the wide eyed scientist. "Fetch!"

"We're not a dog Starrk!" Lilinette protested but leapt anyway. Kisuke tried to run but with a fine sense of justice, Kensei stuck out his foot at exactly the right time. The scientist went down and the wolves were on him. One of them concentrated on licking him to death while the other grabbed the camera and went back to Starrk. He took the item from her, trying to figure out how to use it. Shunsui laughed and took the camera from him.

"Allow me." He said cheerfully before flipping open the camera and replaying the video. "Oh my. I don't know if that was my best side. What do you think, Starrk?"

"Every side of you is wonderful. Do I really look like that, though?" He said wonderingly, up close to Shunsui's side as he watched the replay. "…I can see why Aizen likes me now. Oh my. And what you're doing to me… we need to save this to show it to Juushiro."

"Hey, I wanna see, I wanna see!" Lilinette left Kisuke, covered in dog drool and groaning. No one had the least bit of sympathy for him. She pawed at Shunsui's legs and he laughed, lowering the camera so she could see. "Wow! You do look really sexy like that Starrk! Fuck him again, from the front this time!" She demanded and Shunsui laughed, patting her head. "We can jam that thing somewhere and catch everything!"

"I think your camera has been confiscated." Kensei said dryly to Urahara, who muttered something as he tried to wipe off his face. It wasn't easy, Lilinette's spit was particularly sticky in her spirit wolf form. "We were just checking to make sure you're ready. And you think this will bring Aizen through?" That was a great weakness of their plan. They needed to engage Aizen in the ruins of Karakura town. If he declined to come they would have to engage him in Soul Society and that would be ugly. They would do it, but Starrk's fully unleashed reiatsu would sweep up plus souls by the thousands. They wanted to avoid an incredibly high death toll and the ruins of Karakura town were perfect for that. Starrk looked up from the camera, suddenly somber.

"We're ready. And if this doesn't bring Aizen through, nothing will." Starrk intended to stage the kind of cataclysm that would require Aizen, in person. And with what he'd read from the Kuchiki archives he thought he could do it. "Are you ready?"

"We're ready. Tomorrow morning then." Kensei said before gathering up his two comrades. Kisuke kept sending longing glances at his camera but had the sense not to ask for it back. Hiyori helped with that, hitting him with her sandal to keep him moving. Starrk watched them go, smiling sadly, then looked up as warm arms went around him.

"Did you want to take a short nap in those wonderful furs?" Shunsui asked and Starrk's smile widened. It was like his mate had read his mind. "And then some more…" Blunt teeth nibbled his throat and Starrk tilted his head, giving Shunsui better access.

"Mmm, yes, that would be perfect." He wanted nothing more than a nap followed by more sex with his handsome, loving mate. It would have been better if Juushiro was there, but this was good.

And given the likelihood of dying tomorrow, he would enjoy what he had today.


	44. The Final Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I wanted to do more stuff with Ichi and Grimm and the Soul King's realm but it wasn't working out so I finally said, fuck it. Enjoy!

"Starrk, wake up." A hand gently ran through his hair and the Primera Espada snuggled closer to the warm body beside him. "It's time."

"Just a few more minutes." He murmured, burying his face against warm skin and breathing in Shunsui's comforting scent. But Juushiro's was missing. That, more than anything, finally roused him. He blinked, looking at his mate. Shunsui was smiling at him gently, still touching his hair. "Ah. Time?"

"Yes. The Visored are assembling. We need to get started." He said and Starrk nodded before pulling himself to his feet and gently waking Lilinette. They'd resealed before finally going to sleep, but now it was time to assume their resurrection again. Then they would land the first blow in what would be, one way or another, their final battle.

They were both afraid, of course. They'd been afraid before they had fought in the winter war, too. But it was a measured, carefully controlled fear. Starrk knew it was only human to feel it. Taking a deep, steadying breath he spoke.

"Kick About, Los Lobos." They assumed their resurrection again and began to search for Yammy.

He wasn't hard to find. The big idiot was lounging at the second tower, doing nothing but sleeping and eating. That was absolutely typical of him and the primary way he gathered his energy. That energy wouldn't do him much good if he didn't get a chance to use it, though.

"Yammy!" Starrk called and he looked over, curious. "Get up. Something strange is going on near the first tower."

"Oh yeah?" Yammy hoisted himself to his feet. "Some action? That sounds great!" He grinned and Starrk smiled. It wasn't a nice smile but Yammy was too self-absorbed to notice.

"Yes, look over there." Starrk pointed and Yammy followed his finger. What happened then was an execution. While Yammy's attention was momentarily distracted, Starrk lifted his gun and jammed it against the back of his head. The other Espada only had time to widen his eyes before the Coyote fired.

The cero of brilliant blue incinerated the Cero Espada. Starrk watched, feeling grimly pleased as the body collapsed. That would be Byakuya's cue to go to Juushiro and they would see about ambushing Szayel in an effort to follow Aizen and the others through the senkaimon. For now though…

Starrk watched as several towers went up in explosions. The Visored were busy… as they did that he placed an urgent message to Aizen. He kept his tone completely even and emotionless. That was how he always did his reports when something was going extremely wrong.

"Aizen-kami, we are under heavy assault. A rift is forming…" He gave a good description of several of the Red Queen's minions. Aizen wouldn't know that he'd read about them in the Kuchiki archives. No, to him this would sound like an invasion. He was promised backup and Starrk closed the connection before Shunsui spoke.

"I hate to tell you this, Starrk, but I think your story is about to become reality." He said and Starrk followed his gesture before wincing as Lilinette growled. A rift of red was forming very quickly, with the towers out of the way. It seemed to be churning.

"…Just ignore it and hope it takes a while to open." He said. Shunsui lifted his eyebrows in eloquent disbelief, but nodded. They really had no other option, Aizen was going to take their full attention, if he came. To Starrk's intense relief, the first one through the senkaimon was Aizen himself, followed by Gin and Tosen. They were followed closely by Halibel, Barragan and Ulquiorra.

None of them were expecting an ambush. Starrk's treachery took them completely by surprise. The first one they eliminated was Ulquiorra, although only temporarily. Starrk made use of the same tactic Grimmjow had employed, using the advantage of surprise to put him into a dimensional space. He honestly didn't want to kill the Fourth, and he knew they would have to, if they were forced to fight him. Halibel screamed as her power was suddenly drained.

"Lisa, no!" Starrk completely lost track of what was going on, though, as he dodged a slash from Tosen and retaliated with cero's. As he fought he called to Barragan.

"Barragan! You know what this is! The Red Queen is returning and it's all Aizen's fault! He hasn't taken the Throne of Heaven! Help us, fight him!" He urged the rather confused, elderly Espada. But Barragan was already noticing the red rift forming. Aizen's influence on his mind was powerful, but not quite powerful enough.

"Respire!" The inky blackness of Barragan's attack went for Aizen. Their lord and master responded with a movement too swift for Starrk to follow. His eyes went wide as Barragan was suddenly falling from the sky, bits of bone in his wake.

The pain that followed was shocking. Starrk stared into Aizen's face, the amused smile on his lips and wondered how it had happened. How had his pesquina been completely bypassed? No one should have been able to do that, not even Aizen. Starrk looked down at the blade protruding from his stomach and vaguely heard Shunsui yelling something. Then the weapon was being roughly extracted and Starrk felt a tremendous weakness running through his body. He was still trying to figure it all out when he fell from the sky.

He hit the ground hard, raising a cloud of dust, and grimaced at the pain as he rested a hand over his belly. How had Aizen done this? All their plans undone before they could even begin…

"Starrk! STARRK! It's an illusion!" Lilinette yelped and he blinked, turning his head to look at his guns. "Use that funny eyesight! It's not real! He never stabbed you! He just made you think he did!"

"I… wait, what?" Aizen could do that? But then, he could control their senses utterly. "…" Looking down, Starrk found that strange way of looking at things that revealed the truth and his eyes widened. His abdomen was completely untouched. The pain abruptly vanished as he sat up. "…Clever." Aizen's way of getting him out of the battle, likely so he could be properly punished after the others were disposed of. Starrk's lips thinned at the thought. "Let's do this Lilinette." He said firmly, keeping that odd eyesight. It hurt his mind after a while but he was going to need it.

Lifting his gun he sighted on Aizen and released a cero. Then he leapt into the air, following the path of his beam. Shunsui had been trying to fight Aizen and his eyes went wide as he saw the Espada.

"Starrk?!" He called and Starrk just grinned.

"It was an illusion!" He called back. "Tell them to pull back!" Tosen was down and Gin was still fighting but Starrk didn't want to waste anymore of his energy. And the Visored would need to protect themselves. His unleashed power would kill them. Glancing at Kisuke, he received a nod. The man had gotten off his binding spell, then.

"Maa, what are you up to Starrk?" Gin asked as Hachi began finalizing his kido and the Visored pulled back to it. Aizen let them go with a slightly puzzled air, clearly interested to see what they thought they were doing. It was typical of his arrogance. Starrk just looked at the silver haired man for a moment before kneeling.

"Gin, despite everything, I still like you." Starrk said calmly as he cradled his guns to his chest. Aizen and Gin were both looking at him curiously, Aizen with a small smile. He was confident in his power and amused by the Primera's actions. No doubt he was anticipating a very pleasant time taking care of him, too. "So I'm going to warn you… if you don't find some kind of cover you're going to die." Then he concentrated on Lilinette, on returning his power to its original form. "One body, one mind, one soul." He murmured as he felt dark power welling up inside. Yes, they could do this. "Segunda Etapa." _Second stage._

A corona of absolute darkness, threaded with baleful green, erupted around him. It went directly upwards, blotting out the brilliant sun. At first it just looked like ink, spreading across the sky. But then it became the sky and a crescent moon suddenly shone down. Below, the power also spread and ruined buildings and greenery shifted, becoming the dunes of Hueco Mundo. This power was too strong to exist in the Living World. In the past, that had prevented it from using a garganta, but now it brought Hueco Mundo to the Living World, instead.

Power flowed around the form that was emerging, dark and unrestrained. The dampening Aizen had placed on the power that had once been Coyote Starrk and Lilinette broke like a rotten twig. As it shattered, the spiritual pressure condescend into a new being. Or rather, an old one. One that had not been seen or felt for centuries.

"I… uh…" Gin wavered on his feet, looking sick as the spiritual pressure he couldn't even sense bore down on him. Aizen placed a hand on his back, his expression suddenly serious as he registered the power in front of him. His own power steadied Gin, keeping the force from devouring him, but nothing else could have. "…The fuck is this?" Gin's eyes were open as he looked at the person in front of them.

It was female. That much was clear. And the clothing it was wearing did not fit well. A tiny burst of black power shredded the trailing arms and sleeves, keeping the clothing from being an impediment to movement. But she didn't bother to fix the shirt, which slid and gaped, teasingly revealing beautiful breasts. Chestnut hair brushed her shoulders and her eyes were grey. Her helmet was quite familiar… it was Lilinette's. Her body was lightly furred in places and her hands were black. In one hand she held a large gun, in the other, a curving sword.

She did not give them much time to examine her, forever. She simply levelled that gun and fired without a word. Gin and Aizen both managed to dodge the insanely swift cero, but they were not expecting it to bounce back. The power, which was greater than most vasto lorde could claim, split in two and bounced twice before screaming back. Aizen blocked it this time but Gin was hit and fell out of the sky, his clothing smoking.

"You… how can any hollow hold such power?" Aizen was actually upset now. The hollow facing him just smiled.

" _Fuck you, that's how."_ She said succinctly before attacking. Her blade clashed against Aizen's as they met in midair. The Visored and shinigami watched as they clashed, repeatedly. Kisuke was holding a new camcorder, recording it all for posterity.

"We got off that binding, right?" Shinji asked worriedly. The whole thing had been going so fast, he wasn't sure. Kisuke nodded.

"Aizen didn't even try to avoid it. If Starrk and Ichigo can do their parts, we have this." He was even feeling relatively confident. He couldn't sense the reiatsu of either of the combatants. That indicated that Starrk and Lilinette were at least close to equaling Aizen's power.

"Starrk…" Shunsui murmured as he watched the battle unfold. It was titanic and Starrk's practicing was finally paying dividends. The new hollow they had become was fighting as well as any taichou. "Be safe." He could only pray the new force would prevail.

If they had known what was going on in other realms, they might have been panicking…

* * *

"WHY isn't this working?!" Grimmjow snarled as Ichigo looked helpless. He was sitting on the throne of the heavens. And not a single thing was happening.

"Oh kami he put some kind of shield on it!" Isshin was quietly panicking. "Ichigo, get up, we need to break this." If they didn't, Starrk was inevitably doomed.

"Is it kido?" Grimmjow asked, trying to calm himself. "Ichigo's no freakin' master but he can use it and he's strong as fuck. Maybe if you can figure something out and coach him?" Isshin had more skill but absolutely none of the power Ichigo held. Ichigo got off the throne and they went to work.

"Why didn't we anticipate this? Oh kami oh kami…" Isshin was muttering as he tried to decipher the kido shield on the throne. "We should have smuggled in Kisuke and gotten Hachi to cast the binding… I don't know if I can do this."

"Dad, stop panicking. You have to do it. Now, just calm down and keep trying." Ichigo said, holding back his own panic.

If they couldn't make this work, it was all over.

* * *

"What is going on over there?"

"Don't know and don't care!" Vandular was having a spectacularly bad day. But then, any day that was definitely going to end in being eaten alive was, by definition, a very bad day indeed. "If you can pay attention to anything else you're not fighting hard enough!"

"It feels like the celestial realm!" His fellow vasto lorde, the minotaur, called. He knew the taste of that thanks to one incredibly wonderful meal that had happened to fall into his lap. Not even a person. The man in question had already been dead, his soul largely fled. But he'd had some absolutely marvelous fruits in his bag and they had been impregnated with incredibly powerful, pure reishi. The minotaur had savored them and remembered the flavor. He knew where they had come from due to some of the other things he'd found, the letters on the man. How he'd come to Hueco Mundo was anyone's guess. Vandular's head whipped around as he caught the scent in the air.

"It's the traitor king!" Although what he was doing in Hueco Mundo… but was he in Hueco Mundo? Something strange and very bad was going on, to Vandular's senses. Some form of reality warp? Although this entire thing stank to high heaven, as far as he was concerned.

"Yo motherfuckers I have a fucking IDEA!" The demon screamed as they all turned back to the battle. The sea monster saved his human minion, slicing apart a tentacle that had almost grabbed him. "Let's move the bitch!"

"…Excellent idea!" Vandular thought that was a lovely plan. For one brief moment, he loved the demon. "Everyone! Pull towards the lights!" The green and purple lights were not that far away. Although, in a sense they were extremely far… but that didn't matter at the moment.

Right now, the Living World and Hueco Mundo were very close.

* * *

The battle over the ruins of Karakura town was not going well for Aizen.

He tried various kido attacks. The black box of death, as Lilinette would have called it, was shattered with internal pressure. Green light seeped through the cracks before the hollow finished it with a swipe of her sword. Other kidos were evaded or blocked. She managed to inflict several injuries on him, although Aizen was returning those. They were both bloodied and Aizen was feeling absolutely murderous now. Truthfully, he wasn't losing… but he also wasn't winning. For someone who thought he was a god, that was cause for rage.

"Tell me! Tell me how a hollow can have such power! Who are you?" He demanded as they both took a breather. She tilted her head to one side before sniffing.

" _Oh fine. I hate to boast but Kisuke is recording this, the wanker."_ She said and Aizen actually looked, spotting the scientist with the camcorder. His expression was less than amused. _"I might as well be immortalized. My name is Coyote Gingerbuck and I am the true power in Hueco Mundo. The King was meaningless… all that ever mattered was the Queen."_ She stood straighter, staring challengingly at Aizen. _"My subjects are the dead bodies that surround me. My minions are the souls within me. I am death, nothing more, nothing less. Now… arise, my subjects!"_ Baleful green light erupted from her. Dozens of little meteorites of green fire flowed to the ground, finding the scattered bones. As they did, the remains of the dead stirred.

Hollow after hollow stood. Deceased adjuchas, their bodies were lit from within by the green fire that was Coyote Gingerbuck. Then a thicker, heavier bolt of power flowed into the sands. And they stirred.

The great dragon hollow had died long before anyone on the battlefield had been born. And now it returned, claws rending the sand as it pulled itself free. The tiny form above it floated, unconcerned, as that great form rose behind her. Then it roared. All the Visored covered their ears in pain as the sound seemed to go into their bones. Then it launched itself in the air, flying high in the sky with blinding swiftness. Then it dove, going for Aizen.

He shattered it. The power of the hogyoku pulsed and the bones flew in random directions, some of them bouncing off the shield Hachi had set up. The other hollows vanished as well, overwhelmed by that pulse of power. But Gingerbuck was not deterred. She used the destruction of her minions as a distraction and that curving blade sliced across Aizen's chest, raising another line of blood before she fired on him with her gun. He blocked with the power of the hogyoku and the battle continued, raging fiercely.

As that was happening the senkaimon reopened, admitting Juushiro and Byakuya. That was nearly fatal to Byakuya, but Juushiro managed to help him long enough to reach the protection of Hachi's shield. The Visored was able to open a door for them although the lash of power that hit was painful. Soon they were safely inside and watching the battle with the others.

"What is that…?" Byakuya asked. He'd not been informed of their plans. Shinji gave him a quick explanation as Juushiro and Shunsui both watched. They were terrified for Starrk, but there was little they could do. As old and as powerful as they were, they would only be liabilities to him… her?... right now. Even worse, if they tried something they might remind Aizen of their presence. He hadn't struck at them yet but he might. And then Gingerbuck would be forced to save them.

"ENOUGH! Let's end this!" Aizen said before calling on the full might of the Hogyoku. Lilinette Gingerbuck responded in kind. Her green and black power formed a corona around her before taking the shape of a skull. Similar to Ichigo's hollow power, it blazed towards the purple fire of the hogyoku. The two powers battled back and forth and they both knew that this would be the decisive blow. There was no turning back.

The explosion that followed was massive. Sand and dust flew through the air and no one could see what was happening. The black sky gradually vanished as the connection to Hueco Mundo was severed… although not completely. The Red Queen saw to that. But to those in the dust cloud, it didn't matter.

"Did we… do it?" Lilinette coughed as she pushed herself up on her arms. "Hey… we went back!" They hadn't been expecting that. They'd thought it would be a fight to go back to Starrk and Lilinette, but it had happened naturally when their power had depleted. Starrk also coughed as he pushed himself up.

"Yes… it seems that truly is our second stage. We can use it without fear." That was a great relief. "Did we get him…?" Starrk was pretty sure they had. Their power had overmastered the hogyoku's. Lilinette nodded.

"We felt it hit. Here, let me help you up." Starrk was more badly injured than Lilinette. His body was crossed with ugly wounds, although they were healing. "Hey, does this make us the saviors of Soul Society then? Isn't that cool?"

"Heh. Yes, it's rather…" Starrk trailed off, staring into the dust in front of them. Lilinette followed her gaze before staring, her single eye widening in shock and horror. There was a shadow there…

"No way." She whispered as the dust died down a bit and revealed Aizen. His uniform was pretty much gone and he was looking badly hurt… and extremely, incredibly pissed. Starrk went dead white before letting go of her and drawing his sword. He infused it with every bit of power he had left before pressing it against his chest –

And crying out in pain as a hard hand closed over his wrist. The bone snapped with a wet, ugly sound and the sword fell from his hand. Starrk stared into the face of the man he'd betrayed and saw his doom there.

"STARRK NO!" Lilinette leapt at Aizen and he brought his elbow down on her helmet. Starrk cried out in sympathetic pain as he felt the bone shatter. She went down in a boneless heap, her helmet suddenly spider webbed with cracks. She was unconscious, which was a mercy… she would at least be spared feeling her other half's pain. Then Aizen turned his attention back to the man in his grasp.

"You won't die that easily, Starrk." He said just before he rested his other hand in Starrk's hollow hole. The flow of purple energy made the arrancar arch with an agonized scream. The hogyoku's energy was recovering quickly, although it would be days before it went back to full power. That didn't matter for this, though. Starrk was completely drained and Aizen still had the Soul King's throne at his command. Eventually, Aizen released him and let Starrk fall to the ground. He was left gasping and trembling, unable to move. Then he rolled over, trying desperately to push himself up. It was hopeless but he had to get away…

Then a hand went into his back. Starrk cried out in pain but then his voice abruptly cut off as a burst of power erupted _inside_ his body. His eyes went wide as he felt a pain like nothing he'd experienced in his life. It was unbelievable, all encompassing, a violation beyond any he'd ever imagined as his internal organs, guts and lungs both, were shredded. Then the power recoiled and Starrk vomited as he felt the power forming a lattice? Something to hold him together, just enough to keep him alive while still experiencing the pain. Bright red blood and black bile splattered the ground and Starrk looked at it with blurry eyes, vaguely understanding that he was looking at bits and pieces of his insides. Then the hand withdrew from his back and he whimpered, an animal sound of agony.

"Get up Starrk." The command was irresistible. Starrk lurched to his feet, wavering but forced to stand by the power still inside him. "Walk." He began to stumble towards the place he sensed the others waiting. He was vaguely aware of Aizen picking up Lilinette, carrying her under one arm as he followed. _I failed. I failed. I'm so sorry everyone. I'm so, so sorry.._

Starrk had to pause twice more to vomit. Aizen let him, just watching as he threw up that slurry of blood and organs. Then he forced him onwards, making the dying arrancar move when he should have just been breathing his last. They broke through the dust and sand and finally faced the people waiting. Starrk's fading gaze immediately fell on his mates. The smiles on their faces quickly vanished as they saw the blood and the tears on his face.

"I'm so… sorry…" His voice was a fading rasp but clear enough. He fell to his knees and threw up again, more blood and hideous things leaving him. But Aizen's command finally stopped and he was allowed to collapse, his chest heaving as broken lungs functioned just enough to keep him alive and suffering. Aizen tossed Lilinette after him, her broken little body hitting the ground with a sad thump.

"Your little plan came very close to working." Aizen said conversationally as everyone stared at him in shock and horror. "He managed to completely drain the hogyoku. I never would have imagined one of my Espada held such power… but as long as I hold the throne of heaven, no force in the three worlds can bind me." Even as his awareness faded, Starrk felt a little better hearing that. He hadn't failed… Ichigo, Grimmjow and Isshin had failed. It made little difference to his fate but he did feel a bit better, knowing that. "I would like to take my time with him but time is running out… so watch as I completely destroy this pathetic soul." Starrk felt only resignation as he heard his fate. He was going to cease to exist… a hand gripped his hair, pulling him up and he heard his mates cry out.

" _Cero!_ " That voice was completely unfamiliar and Starrk felt Aizen's hold on him slacken as he looked over his shoulder, vaguely annoyed.

" _Wrangle the bitch! Wrangle the bitch!_ " Someone sounded very excited and Aizen released him completely as forms streaked out of the clouds. " _Oh yeah! Oh fuck yeah! Move you bitch!_ "

Three forms abruptly landed on the ground in front of Aizen, between him and the Visored. Fire, water and lightning all blazed in their hands before hitting the surprised usurper. That might not have been enough but the lesser combatants added their powers, too. More vasto lorde and a single human all landed and chained their ceros and other powers together. Aizen was slammed backwards, unharmed but surprised by the attack. And behind him, the final vasto lorde led his charge out of the clouds.

Everyone stared as the vast form, red and looking like a giant amoeba, emerged from the clouds. It had dozens of huge tentacles with giant, fang filled mouths. As always, the Red Queen went for the person with the greatest power… and even with the hogyoku close to drained, that was Aizen. A tentacle landed on him, sucking him in with a peculiar, masticating sound.

"Oh yeah! Eat him you bitch! Swallow him DOWN!" The demon landed in front of the other vasto lorde before doing an obscene victory dance. Vandular regarded the scene thoughtfully. The Red Queen seemed a little puzzled by her meal but was working hard at absorbing it.

"We're probably still about to die, but now I'm far more cheerful about it." He said as two shinigami streaked past him, going to the fallen arrancar and gently turning him over. Starrk lifted his head weakly, wanting to see what was happening.

None of them could know it, but part of Aizen's logic in keeping the throne had been his conviction that with the Hogyoku at his beck and call, he could likely overmaster the Red Queen and take control of the new world that would emerge. And quite likely he'd been right. But she'd just taken him at a weak moment, when the hogyoku was almost drained. And she was not a thing of the three worlds. His connection to the Soul King's throne was completely severed and elsewhere, something happened…

* * *

"The binding is gone! Sit on the throne!"

"Right!" Ichigo took his place and power flared…

* * *

The Red Queen's distraction did not last long. Then she turned her attention outwards, still intent on becoming _real._ Then a silvery light flared and everyone had to shield their eyes. When it was over, the thing in front of them was gone.

"…What just happened?" The minotaur wondered.

"Dues ex machina." Vandular said thoughtfully and everyone looked at him.

"What?" Nngato asked and the dragon hesitated.

"…Nevermind." His thought process would just be too much trouble to explain. "It appears to be over." He said and turned his attention to the small drama unfolding before them.

"Starrk, hang on. We'll get you to Orihime." Shunsui said, holding the stricken arrancar's hand. Hachi was beside them, his expression hopeless as he touched the battered body. Starrk shook his head. He could feel the power holding him together and with Aizen's 'death', it was fading rapidly.

"There's no time." He whispered before turning fading eyes on Hachi. "Is there?" He was very sure. The Visored looked down before shaking his head.

"No." He said sadly and Starrk coughed, bringing up more bloody froth. He managed to stifle the urge to vomit. He was sure that doing that now would finish his life.

"Shunsui… Juushiro… please. Give me konso." He whispered. Shunsui immediately shook his head as Juushiro looked tearful. "Please. I… rejected it so long ago… it's time now. And… maybe… you'll see me again." Would his soul appear in Soul Society? Perhaps he would. He was very powerful, he always had been.

"You won't remember us. You won't be the same… Starrk…" A warm hand caressed his forehead and Starrk sighed, comforted by the touch. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. It was getting so hard to see. Everything was fading…

"If you don't, I will be gone." He had no idea what happened to soul collections destroyed without konso, but he was sure they did not go directly to Soul Society. "Please… Juushiro…" He had a feeling he would be able to do it. A hand cupped his cheek and then he felt the press of something cold on his forehead.

"Konso." Starrk was vaguely aware of a moment of wonder before his world dissolved in beauty.

To everyone watching, the eruption of souls was like a gorgeous tsunami. Starrk's body vanished in a torrent of blue. Souls escaped by the hundreds, the thousands, winding through the air in trails of light. The continued to flow up, vanishing to whatever fates they deserved. As they flowed, Lilinette's body also vanished in the blue light. And last, but far from least, was a brilliant point of light. The powerful soul that had started it all, it orbited with a much smaller, but still bright spark. Like a pair of conjoined twins, they circled each other as they rose through the air. And finally, they vanished. Awed but still holding his camcorder, Kisuke caught every moment of it.

Nothing was left but bloodstains and a tiny piece of glitter. Shunsui carefully picked up the little pin, recognizing the pinwheel barrette he'd given to Starrk, so long ago. Tears were streaming down Juushiro's face and then they hugged each other, giving one another comfort.

Nothing else remained.


	45. Managing the Situation

The Vasto Lorde watching the dissolution of Coyote Starrk had various reactions.

"…I know what I'm going to do when I'm ready to die." Vandular was awed by the display. Nngato grunted an agreement while Terra hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He had a few questions about the state of his soul and he wasn't sure he wanted them to be answered.

"Fuck that!" The demon had absolutely no doubts and wasn't about to volunteer. "Shit, I wanted to eat th – mrph!" The sea monster had quite firmly put a hand over his mouth.

"You fool. Those shinigami can hear us." He hissed into the demon's ear and didn't let go until he got a nod. "Good." Fortunately, Juushiro and Shunsui were too lost in their grief to notice the hollows. Everyone else was still getting over the shock and also not paying too much attention to them.

"…I do have to say. That was wonderful, what you did moving the Red Queen." Vandular said. He was willing to give credit where credit was due and the demon had earned it. "It was your idea, too. Good job."

"Thanks! You did great too, fucking that asshole up. We all did great!" The demon said approvingly and the minotaur laughed.

"A rare moment of camaraderie. Cherish it." He said and there were several chuckles. Then the demon looked around thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

"Okay, but I am really fucking hungry. Hey Nngato! Mind if I eat that human of yours?" He asked and the sea monster eyed him like a particularly unsavory beast. Vandular face palmed.

"Must you?" He asked and the demon suddenly flared up.

"Stop judging me you fucking prick!" That caught the attention of several of the Visored. The minotaur sighed.

"And it's gone." He said mournfully before his daughter spoke.

"Eat my brother! Please." She said sincerely before he shoved her. She shoved him back and things were about to degenerate before the minotaur called them back into line. The demon ignored that. He knew better than to try to touch one of the minotaur's children, right in front of him.

"No, but seriously, can I have that guy? Or one of the others?" The demons hungry eyes fell on Cynnbel and Natwa. She hissed at him, although that was mostly bravado. She would have no chance against him. Cynnbel immediately started looking for some form of escape. Chad just stared, wondering if Nngato would really give them up to the other vasto lorde.

"I don't care. Do what you will." He said indifferently and Sado swallowed, wondering what to do. Then fate intervened, in the form of two young vasto lorde.

"Not the human! We like him a lot. Right Amargo?" Dulce said, stamping a hoof. Her sister nodded.

"Right. Protect him for us papi!" She demanded and Vandular considered it for a moment before glancing at the young man. He didn't like his daughters mating to a human, but…

"Fine. He's under my protection. The others, I don't care." He said firmly. He was not interested in policing the demons feeding habits. Natwa decided to seek a convenient port in the storm.

"I will give you a litter if you sssave me." She said to the minotaur, who tilted his head as he considered her offer. Cynnbel tried to appeal to the minotaur's daughter, but she flicked her tail disdainfully at the thought. She knew his penchant for leaving females to raise their litters alone. That hadn't stopped her from playing with him, but she considered his life not worth saving.

"Accepted." The minotaur said and that left just one target. Cynnbel yelped in pure terror before taking off in the fastest sonido he could, a laughing monster close behind. He immediately aimed himself for something that felt both hollow and powerful, hoping for the best.

"PLEASE! I'll mate you, I'll be your slave, I'll let you Claim me, ANYTHING! Just don't LET HIM EAT ME!" Cynnbel appealed desperately to Hirako Shinji, who had a 'what the hell?' look on his face. The Visored might have preferred to stay out of the confrontation but the young Vasto Lorde tried to hide behind Shinji and the demon wasn't exactly sane.

Vandular watched the rather impressive explosion and decided he would much rather be somewhere else. Nngato and Terra were already leaving, uninterested in this place and eager to return home.

"Come on girls, let's go find your step-mother." He said, turning away. "Is the human coming?" He asked, glancing at Chad consideringly. He hesitated a moment, thinking.

"You are going to Soul Society?" He asked and the ancient hollow nodded. "I will go at least that far." He didn't know if he would go back to Hueco Mundo or not. He'd been gone from the human world for a long time and Sado had no illusions. There was no way he could fit back in easily.

Perhaps Soul Society or even Hueco Mundo were a better home for him now.

* * *

"This is working out surprisingly well." Juushiro murmured as he watched a small group of arrancar go by. They were chattering, completely unconcerned about the two 'pets' loitering nearby.

"People see what they want to see. And to be fair, our collection of talent leaves them quite outmatched." Shunsui said, taking a long swallow of his sake. They both understood exactly what he meant.

Because the battle against the Red Queen had happened over Karakura town, keeping the outcome a complete secret from the arrancar and shinigami had been feasible. After they'd driven off that lunatic hollow – that had been strange – they'd needed to get the Espada under control. As it turned out, Barragan's injuries were as illusory as Starrk's had been and he'd woken up extremely put out by the whole thing. His rant had been spectacular and the language involved had been quite admirable. The old King hadn't repeated himself at all, except for some adverbs.

When they got him calmed down, though, they'd made a deal with him. Barragan truly wanted only one thing… to be the King of Hueco Mundo. That was a very easy thing for them to grant, although they had the condition that he give up his two shinigami pets. The old skeleton had consented immediately and Juushiro had an idea that he'd long ago lost interest in his two Claims. He did have his entire fraccion, after all.

Halibel had been angry at them but practical. Her concern was for Shimonami and if Barragan was going to Hueco Mundo, she wanted to remain in Soul Society. As they were bargaining with her, Ulquiorra had finally escaped from his dimensional prison.

It had been hard to convince the Quatro that Aizen was dead, but Kisuke's camcorder had done the job. Another Barragan rant had filled the air as Ulquiorra was filled in on the details about the Red Queen. Juushiro wasn't sure how much he accepted of it, but the Quatro was like Halibel… he had a young son counting on him. Not to mention Orihime and his second, unborn child.

So they had managed to fake a triumphant battle against the Red Queen and also the Visored. There was some confusion with Szayel but they managed to convince him that Byakuya and Juushiro had been acting on behalf of Starrk, who needed them urgently. Hachi's illusion of Aizen was the very best illusory kido he had available and he got the man's manner perfectly. They had used that little sock puppet to reassure Szayel before taking it back to the palace.

In their new version of reality, Gin and Tosen had died valiantly in battle. Starrk and Yammy were still alive but under treatment at the Fourth. There were a pair of false bodies there, being tended to by Unohana. She was fully briefed on what they were doing and had given all the arrancar a single condition for her cooperation… as soon as they revealed what was happening to the general population, she wanted to challenge Nnoitra to a duel and kill him. The other Espada were surprisingly amenable to the idea. Barragan absolutely didn't care, Ulquiorra cared even less. Only Halibel had remotely cared and she had just said that as long as Nnoitra accepted, she was fine with it. Given that he was almost as bloodthirsty as Kenpachi had been, Juushiro had no doubt that the Espada would take the challenge.

It was lies on top of lies and exhausting to keep up, but the deception was giving them important breathing room. Ulquiorra and Barragan were briefing hand-picked minions and getting things in place to deal with the inevitable backlash when the news came out. And they were planning how to bring the news out with their own spin. Something they would need to do sooner rather than later. The longer they tried to keep this up, the more likely it became that something would go horribly wrong.

"Ah, Starrk." Shunsui murmured and Juushiro understood exactly what was going through his mind. The gigai under Unohana's care looked shockingly like him. They could almost pretend he was there, sleeping… but the reiatsu nets on their souls were gone. That power had been with them for so many years and losing it was almost like losing a part of themselves. "I miss him, and the children." He said with a sigh. Juushiro nodded.

"Me too." All the children had been quietly gathered and taken to the Soul King's realm. The only exception was Mariposa and they planned to bring her as soon as they brought Szayel in on the truth, which would be tomorrow. There were more half-hollow children now – some of the Numeros were reproducing naturally – but they couldn't get them all. Juushiro hoped they would be safe when chaos descended.

It would only be a matter of time.

* * *

Ichigo scowled as he tried to sort out what to do.

The Red Queen was the most pressing problem, but far from the only one. Years of neglect had left the entire fabric of reality in complete disarray. To his dismay, he saw that the Soul King performed a very vital function… he kept things running smoothly. The three worlds were like a slightly out of tune machine, always requiring a bit of spiritual greasing and tweaking to function properly. Right now they were barely getting by, the gears sticking together badly and mostly turning through inertia.

Of course, that was only a metaphor. The reality was hard to put into words. But the Red Queen was the most pressing issue and he needed to act now, not later. The first thing he did was force the presence out of the Three Worlds. But that wasn't much of a solution at this point. Ichigo could sense that too much of substance had been devoured. Too many powerful souls, too much spiritual energy had been taken. If he sealed the Red Queen away there would be a painful void in the Three Worlds and Hueco Mundo, in particular, would be tilting dangerously towards oblivion. Too many adjuchas had been lost. The arrancar could make up for it somewhat, if he could convince all of them to suddenly go back home, but that would still leave too much spiritual vacancy.

So Ichigo began the very dangerous but necessary process of reintegrating the Red Queen into the fabric of reality. It was only possible because the walls were thin. He was dealing with a living entity, though, that had developed a kind of consciousness. It did not want to be forced apart into its various pieces. Ichigo kept at it, though, gradually chipping away at the monstrosity that had been building for time uncounted. The weakness of the barriers worked against the Red Queen now… it had no way to avoid his attentions.

Ichigo had no idea how long it actually took, but it felt like forever before he'd finally cleansed those cast off bits of reality. It was particularly exhausting, making sure the souls within were sent to their proper places. Most to Hueco Mundo but some of them went to Hell. Ichigo completely missed the fact that Aizen was in there, but fortunately, he did find his proper place. Juushiro would not have to worry about the universe having mercy on him.

With that done, Ichigo mended the barriers a bit before turning his attention to the rest of the three worlds. He couldn't make it perfect. It had never been perfect and years of neglect had caused too much to build up. All he could do was make things a bit better, get the machine running just a touch smoother. If he did this all the time, eventually it would be back to normal, or as normal as it ever got. Ichigo didn't think he would ever apply the word 'normal' to what he was seeing.

Finally surfacing from his trance, Ichigo blinked and looked around the room. Grimmjow was sleeping on the floor not far away, in a sleeping bag? His father was nowhere to be seen.

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo said before standing up and going to the Espada, gently touching his shoulder. Grimmjow woke up immediately and yawned, his fangs flashing in the light of the candles someone had lit.

"Ichigo?" He sounded a bit groggy but blinked, quickly coming to full awareness. "Shit, took you long enough! You've been out for a goddamned week!"

"I, wait, what?" Ichigo stared at the arrancar, appalled by the revelation. "It took that long…?" Although actually, he could believe it. That had been one hell of a mess to clean up. "What's been happening?"

"Oh, geez, you would ask that." Grimmjow ran a hand over his face for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay, this really sucks but… fuck. We took too long. Starrk's dead." Ichigo stiffened for a moment, feeling a deep stab of grief, followed closely by guilt. "Aizen fucked the poor bastard over. But the Red Queen got him before he could destroy his soul… Juushiro gave him konso. So, I don't know, maybe we'll see him again someday." Grimmjow didn't sound too hopeful. Ichigo swallowed and nodded, feeling sick.

"Yeah." He said hoarsely. That… was a bitter pill to swallow. They'd triumphed, but at a high cost. "How about everything else?" Things couldn't possibly have gone smoothly. Grimmjow laughed.

"Nothing's happened yet." He said cheerfully and Ichigo stared at him. Nothing? "See, we've got everyone believing Aizen's still alive. We've got gigai's of Starrk and Yammy in the Fourth. As far as everyone knows, we had a big stunning victory and shit."

"…That can't last long." Ichigo said apprehensively. Grimmjow shrugged, then nodded.

"Yeah, we know. We're getting ready for it. We've got most of the Espada helping and Ulquiorra's working with Soi Fon and Yoruichi. We're hoping to clamp down on the riots when they happen. One thing that's gonna get interesting is Retsu. She's gonna rip Nnoitra's balls off." Grimmjow predicted and Ichigo nodded. That was no surprise, really. "No one gives a shit as long as she challenges him and you know him… he'll say yes for damned sure. She's only a woman, after all." Grimmjow sounded very sarcastic. But he didn't in the least bit share in Nnoitra's misogyny.

"Good." Ichigo growled, remembering poor little Nel. "I hope it's painful. Where are the children?" Although he could just use his new senses to find them… He did that before Grimmjow could speak. "Oh, they're here!" All of them. He smiled at the mental vision of Tigre sleeping in a bed, little Tabitha asleep in a playpen she was sharing with Guadalupe and Toshiro… even little Mariposa, held in Nemu's arms as they both slept on a large bed. "Dad?" He looked for his father and found him in Soul Society. He was asleep though. It was nighttime and it seemed that everyone was in bed. "I… uh, should probably get some sleep." Fatigue was starting to hit him hard. Grimmjow nodded.

"Yeah, you come to bed. You can love up the kids tomorrow." He said and Ichigo smiled at the thought, stumbling a bit as he left the throne. All of a sudden he was feeling very, very tired.

He could talk to everyone about this tomorrow.

* * *

"Silence!" Barragan's old voice thundered over the crowd in the square, without the aid of enhancing kido. Shunsui was suddenly irresistibly reminded of Yama-jii in a foul mood, but minus the burning reiatsu. Although the feeling of dust and the creeping aura of death the Segunda carried were hardly much better. The arrancar and shinigami in the square quickly sorted themselves out, the murmurs vanishing. The old Espada grunted. "It seems I must make a speech for you worms."

"Oh dear." Juushiro muttered as Shunsui scratched his hair with a sigh. Halibel and Ulquiorra had both said that Barragan would be the best candidate to deliver the bad news. He could actually do a rather stirring speech when he cared to, apparently. It seemed that now was not one of those times.

Still, it didn't go too badly. Barragan delivered the truth in a straightforward fashion, helped with images taken from Kisuke's camera. That thing was really coming in handy… seeing was believing, as they always said. There was a great deal of chatter at that and Barragan had to sweep his annoyed reiatsu over the crowd twice more to get silence. When he was done with the story, though…

"Kyoraku taichou will explain what this means for the future." He finished before giving the stage to him. Shunsui smiled at the old Espada before looking over the faces in front of him. Many of them were almost terrified. But then, why wouldn't they be? Their whole comfortable world had just been knocked upside down. Likely the presence of the Espada was all that was keeping them from rioting.

"Please remain calm. We are not going to launch a war against you." He said calmly. That was not for the arrancar, of course. It was because if they did try to wage such a campaign, the damage would be horrific. The Espada would fight against them but that was actually the least of the problem. The truly insurmountable difficulty was the arrancar and their Claims. Fellow shinigami, including all the powerful ones, would be turned against the free taichou and the Visored. And there were some very powerful fukutaichou in the ranks, even a few budding ones that would likely have bankai, eventually. The carnage would be dreadful. "We know that there is no way to forcibly break a Claim, short of death." For them, that was true. Aizen could have done it with the Hogyoku but only at the risk of destroying the arrancar's soul. "So we have come to an agreement with the Espada." Mentally, he prayed the Claimed shinigami would forgive them. There would no doubt be a great deal of bitterness over this decision… but they wouldn't want to die fighting for their arrancar masters, either.

"We have a list of names. I will read them off to you." It wasn't really a long list. "All of you on this list must relinquish your pets immediately on pain of death and are banished to Hueco Mundo." Unohana kept medical records and these arrancar had been particularly brutal. Nnoitra was on top of the list, although he was not present to this meeting. Unohana was currently challenging him to that duel. There was some stirring in the audience as he read off the names but the arrancar didn't dare protest. "Our second list is those who must release their pets, but may remain in Soul Society or return to Hueco Mundo as you choose." They were the ones that had really done nothing wrong by arrancar standards but had still been rather hard on their pets. They had shown up in the Fourth for injuries on several occasions. There were some protests as he read out the second list but more of Barragan's reiatsu, this time joined with Ulquiorra and Halibel, took care of that. "The rest of you may keep your pets and stay in Soul Society, if you wish. If you wish to return to Hueco Mundo you must release your pets." That was only good sense. There would be nothing for them to eat and drink there. There was shifting in the crowd and Shunsui could almost feel the dismay and sense of betrayal rising from the shinigami in the audience.

"You are leaving us to these monsters?" Someone shouted, which was rather daring considering the 'monster' in question was probably standing right beside that shinigami. Although maybe it was one of the ones who had to give up his pets. Shunsui sighed before tackling the question directly.

"It's either that or fight them to the death. And by extension, all of you." He said firmly and heard murmuring, felt the mood of the crowd darkening. "However, future Claims will not be tolerated. Any arrancar who wish to remain will have to abide by the laws of Soul Society. Ulquiorra will explain to you further." As head of the arrancar enforcement arm, he could put it to them in ways they would understand. And they weren't bothering with any esoteric laws. No, just the basics would do.

When the explanations were finally over, there was a lot for everyone to digest. Brochures with all the information had been printed and were disseminated into the crowd by Ulquiorra's minions. Under the watchful eyes of both loyal arrancar and shinigami, the crowd began to disperse. Shunsui had no real illusions. There would be trouble, likely sooner than later. But they had everything in place to contain it when it erupted and hopefully the damage would be minimal. Which reminded him…

"Is there any word on the outcome between Unohana's and Nnoitra's duel?" He asked an arrancar, one of Ulquiorra's best men. There was a non-descript, older shinigami man with him and Shunsui wondered if the arrancar would maintain the Claim now. Ulquiorra's insistence on his minions issuing Claims as he chose had created some odd pairings. The arrancar saluted him, giving him more respect than he would have as Starrk's 'pet'.

"Yes. Nnoitra is purified and Unohana Retsu has reclaimed her fukutaichou." The arrancar reported, seemingly uncaring about Nnoitra's demise. For a brief moment, Shunsui blessed arrancar selfishness. No one was going to give a damn about Nnoitra, particularly when his death was clearly the result of a personal grudge. "Tesra-fraccion was badly injured but has been transported to the Fourth."

"Ah, good." Vaguely, he wondered what would happen to that fraccion. He had no Claims and everyone said he was a decent person. He was decently powered, though, so surely he would find a place. "How I wish Starrk was here." He would have known just what to do. Shunsui blinked as an arm went around his waist.

"I wish he was here too." Juushiro said comfortingly and Shunsui smiled, allowing himself to be held. It was wonderful how they didn't have to hide it anymore. "But maybe he'll be back. We just need to keep an eye out for him."

"Mmm, yes." It would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but Starrk's obscene reiatsu at least made it possible. And his potential as a Living man had been vast. Surely they would find him and Lilinette. "Well, we should probably get back to work." There was so much to do and so little time to do it in. Juushiro nodded, giving him another squeeze before letting go.

They left together, intent on keeping the peace between the races.


End file.
